ALPINE SKIING
A legendary triumph. A masterpiece signed by Federica Brignone on the Olympia delle Tofane in front of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. Three hundred and fifteen days after the very serious injury (compound fracture of the tibial plateau and fibular head in her left leg) sustained during the giant slalom at the Italian Championships in Val di Fassa, the Italian star claimed the gold medal in the women’s super-G, the final speed event of these Olympic Games, and secured the 14th podium for the Italia Team at this home edition. A performance to frame under the gaze of the Head of State, who followed the race alongside his daughter, Signora Laura, the President of CONI, Luciano Buonfiglio, the President of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry, the President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, Giovanni Malagò, and CONI Secretary General and Italy’s Chef de Mission Carlo Mornati.
Starting from gate six, Brignone (photo Simone Ferraro/CONI) finished +0.41 ahead of France’s Romane Miradoli (silver) and +0.52 clear of Austria’s Cornelia Huetter (bronze). The other Italians also placed in the top 10, with Laura Pirovano fifth alongside Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie at +0.76 from the lead, and Elena Curtoni seventh at +0.77 on her debut at these Games. After a few technical inaccuracies, while firmly in contention for a podium place, Sofia Goggia (DNF), fresh from last Sunday’s downhill bronze, went out following a gate jump.
In Cortina, Brignone kept her appointment with history: it is her first Olympic medal in the super-G after those won in the giant slalom (bronze at PyeongChang 2018 and silver at Beijing 2022) and in the alpine combined (bronze, also at Beijing 2022), as well as the third Olympic gold in this discipline for Italian alpine skiing following those of Daniela Ceccarelli (Salt Lake City 2002) and Deborah Compagnoni (Albertville 1992). With 11 days of competition remaining, the Italia Team, with five golds, two silvers and seven bronzes, has equalled the 14-medal tally achieved at Albertville 1992, the third most prolific Winter Olympic campaign ever for Italy. The alpine skiing schedule now gives way to the technical events: the two giant slaloms and the two slaloms, with their runs scheduled between 14 and 18 February.
