Federica Brignone, the'exciting return to competition of the champion: watch the video

Just a few months ago it was difficult to even imagine such a quick comeback after such a serious injury. Instead, eight months after the serious injury she suffered at the tail end of last season, Federica Brignone returned to the track and did so in convincing fashion as well, even placing in the Top 10, in seventh place, in the first run of the Plan de Corones giant slope Erta.

Brignone, with a time of 1’14″72 (+1’18” compared to Sweden’s Sara Hector, who finished the heat in the lead), put all the other Azzurre behind her: In fact, Lara Della Mea finished tenth, Asja Zenere twelfth, Alice Pazzaglia twenty-fourth, Ilaria Ghisalberti thirty-sixth, Ambra Pomare forty-fourth, and Anna Trocker forty-sixth.

The other Italian women who finished in the top half of the event were the first to finish in the first run.

Not finishing the heat, however, were Sofia Goggia, who retired almost immediately after the start, and Giorgia Collomb, out before the third intermediate. Below is video of Federica Brignone’s big return to official competition.