Federica Brignone wants to walk before considering the Olympics the following year.

Federica Brignone, the 34‑year‑old Italian alpine ski star and two‑time World Cup overall champion, suffered a devastating crash at the Italian Championships on April 3, 2025, fracturing multiple bones in her left leg and tearing her ACL, and she has declared that her immediate focus is simply to learn to walk again before even contemplating competing at next year’s Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics . After a season in which she secured her second overall World Cup title and a giant slalom gold at the World Championships, Brignone’s remarkable campaign came to an abrupt halt, forcing her into surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process .

Background and Career Highlights

Early life and career trajectory

Federica Brignone was born on July 14, 1990, in Milan and made her World Cup debut at age 17 in December 2007 . Over an 18‑season career, she has competed across all alpine disciplines—giant slalom, super‑G, downhill, slalom, and combined—and amassed 37 World Cup victories, 85 podiums, and three Olympic medals .

Record‑setting 2024‑25 season

By March 2025, Brignone had already clinched her second career overall World Cup crystal globe at age 34—becoming the oldest woman ever to do so—alongside discipline titles in giant slalom and downhill . In February 2025, she claimed gold in the giant slalom at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, further cementing her status as a top medal contender for her home Olympics .

The Italian Championships Crash

The accident

During the second run of the giant slalom at the Italian Championships in the Lusia ski area, Val di Fassa, Brignone’s ski caught a gate, entangling her left leg and sending her tumbling out of control . She was airlifted to a hospital in Trento, where scans revealed a multi‑fragmentary compound fracture of the tibial plateau and fibular head, as well as a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament .

Immediate aftermath

Brignone was discharged from the Milan clinic on April 8, five days after undergoing surgery to reconstruct her fractures and assess her ACL damage . “I still don’t know how long it will take (to return),” she told reporters, emphasizing a step‑by‑step approach: “The next step is post‑operation therapy and we’ll start Monday. And then we’ll see how the bone reacts and we’ll take it from there” .

Medical Assessment and Recovery Timeline

Diagnosis and surgery

Surgeons successfully stabilized Brignone’s fractures and repaired soft‑tissue damage, but the full extent of her ACL trauma will only become clear after further evaluation in the coming weeks . Andrea Panzeri, president of the Italian Winter Sports Federation’s medical staff, cautioned that a definitive timeline was premature but indicated that “that will take at least 45 days” before planning could proceed .

Rehabilitation plan

Brignone’s rehabilitation will begin with basic weight‑bearing and range‑of‑motion exercises, progressing to muscle conditioning, proprioception drills, and eventually on‑ski training. Medical experts estimate that a return to competitive skiing could take anywhere from six to nine months, depending on her body’s response to physiotherapy and bone healing .

Mental Resilience and Public Statements

Brignone’s mindset

Despite the severity of her injuries, Brignone maintained a positive outlook: “I’m a super‑positive person. What happened to me isn’t nice but it happened and I can’t go back in time. So it’s useless to think negatively. I’m just trying to think positively and get through it the best way possible” . Her social‑media channels have featured posts celebrating past victories alongside candid images of her healing leg, underscoring her determination.

Teammate support: Sofia Goggia

Sofia Goggia—herself a two‑time Olympic medalist who overcame her own leg injuries—reached out immediately after Brignone’s accident. “We spoke that very day she hurt herself,” Goggia said. “If she manages to heal well and put on skis in December, she will have plenty of time to prepare for the Olympics in the best possible way” . Goggia noted that her own comeback required only a few weeks of conditioning before returning to top‑level competition, offering Brignone a model for recovery.

Implications for Milan‑Cortina 2026

Italy’s medal hopes

With the Winter Olympics set to open in Milan and Cortina in February 2026, Brignone was poised to be Italy’s marquee contender in giant slalom and super‑G. Her absence from early selection trials raises uncertainty about team composition and doubles the pressure on teammates like Goggia and Marta Bassino to secure podium finishes .

Contingency scenarios

If Brignone can resume on‑snow training by December 2025, she would have two months to regain race fitness and compete in World Cup pre‑Olympic events. However, failure to meet that timeline could shift Italy’s emphasis to younger talents, altering coaching strategies and resource allocation for the national team .

Historical Perspective on Skiing Comebacks

Precedents in alpine skiing

Alpine skiing is unforgiving; yet history offers dramatic comeback stories. Lindsey Vonn returned to win World Cup races after knee reconstructions, and Goggia herself claimed Olympic silver weeks after a leg fracture. These examples suggest Brignone’s declared approach—focusing first on walking—aligns with proven recovery models .

The role of sports medicine

Advances in surgical techniques, biologic therapies (e.g., PRP), and specialized rehabilitation protocols have shortened recovery intervals. Athletes now routinely return to competition within 8–12 months after combined fracture‑ligament injuries, provided complications like infection or non‑union are avoided .

Conclusion

Federica Brignone’s career has been defined by resilience, tactical precision, and trailblazing achievements for Italian women’s skiing. Her recent crash and the resultant complex injury represent the greatest challenge of her life and career. Yet, by resetting her goals to the simplest milestone—walking—she is taking a prudent, medically sound first step toward reclaiming her place on the start gate. If her rehabilitation proceeds without setbacks, the home‑Olympics stage in Milan and Cortina could still witness another chapter in Brignone’s storied legacy. The next few months will prove decisive, not only for her physical recovery but for Italy’s aspirations in alpine skiing at the 2026 Games.