Federica Brignone brakes after promising return to skiing
Federica Brignone is back to take stock of her condition as the countdown to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics continues: “I’m fine, I’ve always been pretty good mentally as well. I went back to skiing in the last few days, I realized that I can go back to it. But it’s clear that being an athlete and racing is a different thing. Skiing, skiing down, is not the same thing compared to what we athletes do. To the injury I thought about it very little. In this sport these things happen. What I asked myself was why so serious. I risked no longer having a life as a sportsman like the one I always had. By the way, often these injuries come in difficult, complicated moments, and instead in my case it came in one of the best moments of my career”.
The Valle d’Aosta woman also recalled what she was doing in 2010, the year Radio Sportiva, the broadcaster that interviewed her, was born: “I was in the first season of the World Cup, in 2010 I did my first Olympics, in Vancouver. I never imagined then to win the World Cup twice, absolutely. For me it was already a surprise to go to the Olympics and to have won a podium. Even just doing the whole season was a gift”. Her participation in the Games remains in doubt: “I don”t know, for the last eight months I have thrown myself headlong into my rehabilitation also to feel good about myself. To be an athlete again”.
“I did it for me, I am a sports person. I have no expectations and I don’t need to do these Olympics. I dream to represent my country, to carry the flag. I think I can deserve it, I’m trying hard. But I will only come back if it is possible to come back, not show up lame or to be a tourist. In my return last week there is the same difference between walking and doing the 100 meters.” Closing remark on the many injuries this’last period: “An Olympic year in Italy is a year with a lot of pressure. Now we are going very fast, the material allows us to pull turns even at 130 kilometers per hour. A lot is being done on safety but ours was, is and will be a dangerous sport. Maybe people don”t realize how much you risk doing this sport”.
