Sofia Goggia, Deborah Compagnoni: "She tried to do as much as she could"

In a historic day for Italian alpine skiing, thanks to Federica Brignone&#8217s surprise success in the Super-G at Milan Cortina 2026, there is also the reverse of the medal for the Italian team, represented by a Sofia Goggia who, after bronze in the downhill, experienced a Thursday to forget on the Tofane Olympia, with a fall ruining a race in which, until the moment of the exit from the slope, she was proving to be decidedly competitive. It was the second fall for her at the Games, after the one two days ago in the combined.

Talking to Sky Sport microphones, Deborah Compagnoni tried to explain what led to the fall. “I am sorry for her mistake – explained immediately the three-time Olympic champion between 1992 and 1998 -. Sofia was doing very well but she made a mistake: she probably went beyond her limit, she tried to do more than she could. The difference with Brignone was there, Federica managed the race with less pressure, in a calmer and more effective” way. Words that did not meet with great success among the fans of the Bergamasque as can be seen in the social groups dedicated to her..

“I definitely knew that you had to be careful between the big curve and the Scarpadon crossing. The risk was going too far to the left and then not being able to catch the rope anymore. Maybe I had to brake a little more there, but it was still a very fast section where the gates come at you. I had a slightly tighter line and from there I couldn’t catch the rope of the next gates anymore,” the Bergamasque out-runner had told RAI shortly before.

Francesco Lucivero

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For Sofia Goggia, however, there remains the satisfaction of having stood on the Olympic podium in three consecutive editions of the Games, just as Deborah Compagnoni did in the 1990s and Federica Brignone did later. Indeed, the Bergamasque’s trophy case is embellished by the’gold in Pyeongchang in 2018, the’silver in Beijing 2022 and the bronze in Milan Cortina 2026, medals captured in downhill on all three occasions.

The last medal chance, for Sofia Goggia, is represented by the giant slalom scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 15: it is not the Bergamo native’s favorite specialty, but the Olympic Games have been able to give countless surprises and there is no doubt that the Yellow Flames athlete wants to redeem the last two disappointments in the race.

“Before even talking about me, I should have congratulated Federica Brignone – Goggia had added -I think of all the difficult months she went through, her serious injury and recovery. It is never easy to come back after an injury, especially to show up like this at an Olympics. She has always felt this Super G very much, it’s a race in her wheelhouse even in the World Cup, and she won it last year. Today she deserves only applause.”