Federica Brignone kisses her gold medal after winning the women’s super-G. [Photo=EPA·Yonhap]
Italian veteran Federica Brignone capped a comeback from a serious injury by becoming the oldest women’s Olympic alpine gold medalist.
Brignone won the women’s super-G at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics on Wednesday at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, finishing in 1 minute, 23.41 seconds. She beat Romane Miradoli of France (1:23.82) and Cornelia Huetter of Austria (1:23.93).
It was Brignone’s first Olympic gold in her fourth Games. She previously won bronze in giant slalom at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and silver in giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Games. Her Olympic total rose to one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, tying Deborah Compagnoni for the most Olympic medals by an Italian woman in skiing.
At 35, Brignone also set the record as the oldest Olympic gold medalist in women’s alpine skiing.
The win followed a major crash last April during the Italian championships giant slalom, when she suffered multiple fractures in her left leg and a torn anterior cruciate ligament. After two surgeries and rehabilitation, she returned to on-snow training last month and reached the top of the Olympic podium in less than a month.
Conditions were difficult on race day, with thick fog during the run. Seventeen of the 43 starters did not finish. U.S. downhill gold medalist Bree Johnson fell after hitting a gate, derailing her bid for a second title.
Brignone posted steady splits throughout and reached 103.85 kph (64.53 mph) in the final section to hold the lead.
Brignone is also known as part of a mother-daughter Olympic pair. Her mother, Maria Rosa Quario, competed for Italy at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics and finished fourth in women’s slalom.
Brignone won the women’s super-G at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics on Wednesday at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, finishing in 1 minute, 23.41 seconds. She beat Romane Miradoli of France (1:23.82) and Cornelia Huetter of Austria (1:23.93).
It was Brignone’s first Olympic gold in her fourth Games. She previously won bronze in giant slalom at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and silver in giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Games. Her Olympic total rose to one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, tying Deborah Compagnoni for the most Olympic medals by an Italian woman in skiing.
At 35, Brignone also set the record as the oldest Olympic gold medalist in women’s alpine skiing.
The win followed a major crash last April during the Italian championships giant slalom, when she suffered multiple fractures in her left leg and a torn anterior cruciate ligament. After two surgeries and rehabilitation, she returned to on-snow training last month and reached the top of the Olympic podium in less than a month.
Conditions were difficult on race day, with thick fog during the run. Seventeen of the 43 starters did not finish. U.S. downhill gold medalist Bree Johnson fell after hitting a gate, derailing her bid for a second title.
Brignone posted steady splits throughout and reached 103.85 kph (64.53 mph) in the final section to hold the lead.
Brignone is also known as part of a mother-daughter Olympic pair. Her mother, Maria Rosa Quario, competed for Italy at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics and finished fourth in women’s slalom.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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