Ski superstar Federica Brignone: She makes her comeback at Kronplatz. © SN

Comeback in South Tyrol: Brignone is stronger than the pain

When the women's giant slalom takes place at Kronplatz on Tuesday, all eyes will be on Federica Brignone. The star skier is celebrating an almost sensational comeback – and has given some revealing insights beforehand.

19 January 2026

From: det

On April 3, 2025, Federica Brignone's sporting world collapsed. After a dream season with a World Championship title and overall World Cup victory, she suffered a brutal crash in a meaningless Italian Championship race. Torn cruciate ligament, broken tibia – Brignone was hit very hard. But the 35-year-old from the Aosta Valley is a fighter par excellence and has now achieved the seemingly impossible: On Tuesday, she will make her comeback in the giant slalom at Kronplatz (10:30 a.m./1:30 p.m.).

“It’s simply fantastic for me to be here. There couldn’t have been a more fitting location, as the Erta has always been a slope I really liked,” Brignone said at a press conference on Monday afternoon, praising Kronplatz. At the same time, Fede emphasized: “It won’t be like in recent years. I’m here to do a test. Just being at the start tomorrow is a huge success for me.”

"I'm in pain every day." Federico Brignone

Brignone then offered some deep insights: "Not a day has gone by when I haven't been in pain. I feel it especially in my shin when skiing. Some days it hurts more, some days less. But I've never been completely pain-free," said the two-time overall World Cup winner. Doesn't she feel afraid to start in a World Cup race? "I'd rather live my life and make mistakes than live in constant fear," said Brignone.

The Olympics are the ultimate goal

Brignone strapped on her tourist skis for the first time at the beginning of December, and on December 26th she completed her first training session between the gates. Today she has twelve days of skiing under her belt. "After the race at Kronplatz, I want to train with the speed skiers in Cortina for a few days. And of course, the Olympic Games are my goal, but I don't yet know which discipline I'll qualify for, how my leg will react, or what my team's ranking will be," said Brignone.

Overall World Cup winner Brignone returns. © APA/afp / PATRICK T. FALLON

Now the exceptional skier is looking forward to her big comeback. "I haven't had a single easy day since my injury. There have also been some very tough moments, for example, when I had to have my second operation or when I saw after the first giant slalom training run that it wasn't working yet. So the fact that I'm starting tomorrow is more than I could ever have expected."