Sportal.it exclusive, advice from the great former to Federica Brignone and Sofia Goggia
The winter sports season is now over but ski fans still have in their eyes the results of the Olympics, where the Azzurri shone. In particular, the two golds won by Federica Brignone have already gone down in history, to the delight of Lara Magoni as well. The former skier, now a member of the European Parliament, spoke exclusively about it to Sportal.it on the sidelines of the inauguration at the Le Cornelle Fauna Park of the new area “La foresta degli okapi”.
“Federica thrilled me and even today my eyes are still shining. I never imagined that she could come back like that, maybe yes, but not as a winner, and certainly not with two gold medals. But the placing she did a few days before the Olympics, in the giant slalom, gave me hope: she was in the top ten, with a small gap to the winner. I thought, “She’s already in the piece.” She probably faced the Olympics with great serenity, with nothing to lose, unlike when she was the favorite. She started yes as a predestined, because we know who Federica Brignone is, but at the same time she was aware of her physical limitations. You can see that the combination of serenity and ability made the difference. She is not just a leader, she is something more: she is special. We are lucky to have her.”
Brignone will now have to decide whether to go on or retire: “The motivations are personal. I saw Lindsey Vonn who came back at 41, got hurt and is already talking about coming back: she is incredible and I have enormous respect for her. But also Federica, whatever choice she makes, will remain in history. If she wants to continue, she can still write it; if she stops, she has already written an extraordinary book.”
Chapter Sofia Goggia: “Judging from the outside is easy. Sofia has won so much and probably felt the weight of this Olympics on her shoulders. That may have had an impact. Yes, maybe she could have done more, but people often don’t consider the mental stress and responsibility an athlete carries inside. Still, she won an important bronze. Of course, she would have liked to have done more, but she remains a great champion: chapeau.”
Staying on the subject of animals, given the location of the interview, Goggia and Brignone may be considered endangered species, but for Lara Magoni the future is still Azure: “It’s a nice question, almost species-preservation. It would be nice to ensure the continuity of these victories, but there is no need. We have a group of young girls who are entering the World Cup. We wish them well as they continue to write history. I am sure that each one will be able to give something: fortunately, sport never ends, it is constantly renewing itself.”
