Sofia Goggia starts the new winter this weekend. © Pentaphoto

“As if nothing had happened”: Goggia ready to go

When the new women's speed season begins on Wednesday with the first downhill training in Beaver Creek, all eyes will be on Sofia Goggia, as the 32-year-old is making her comeback after her umpteenth injury. The downhill dominator of recent years is optimistic in advance.

10 December 2024

From: leo

The accident happened at the beginning of February: During giant slalom training in Ponte Di Legno, Sofia Goggia tangled and broke the tibia and tibial ankle of her right leg. "The fracture was very complicated," the athlete from Bergamo explained in an online press conference on Monday. "The doctors didn't know how to put the bones back together. I couldn't walk for 45 days. And yet now I feel like nothing has happened. My leg and foot are doing excellently," explains a happy Goggia.

The 24-time World Cup winner knows exactly what a "nightmare" she experienced. It was a very difficult time physically, mentally and emotionally, especially since she had had an excellent season up until the injury and still had many goals.

Goggia in good spirits

In the days and weeks after the fall, she often dreamed and doubted whether she would ever be able to ski giant slalom like before. During the month-long training camp in Copper Mountain, she regained this belief. "I'm not a person who is always calm and happy. In order to perform well, my enjoyment of skiing is the most important thing. And it was precisely this enjoyment that I regained in the last month," Goggia emphasizes.

Wants to return to her former strength: Sofia Goggia © Pentaphoto

She hadn't been able to travel to Argentina in the summer because screws were removed from her leg on September 7. As a result, she was behind on training - similar to Nicol Delago, who broke her collarbone in Ushuaia. This made the training camp in the Rocky Mountains all the more important. "Here we have the chance to do 90-second descents. There is no other opportunity like that. At the beginning I was a bit rusty, but now I feel very good - also in terms of my setup," says a satisfied Goggia. Getting used to the speed was "very natural." "I thought I would be more afraid."

"I'm worried." Sofia Goggia on Lindsey Vonn's comeback

Of course, Goggia was also asked about Lindsey Vonn and her comeback. The former competitors are friends, so the Italian is ambivalent. "When I found out about it, I was overjoyed because it meant that she was OK. We also have the opportunity to share beautiful moments together again. The other side of the coin, however, is that I am worried because I really like her. But that feeling applies to everyone because we know that we are doing a dangerous sport."

Goggia and her teammates have now finished the training camp in Copper Mountain at an altitude of 3500 meters and are replenishing their energy reserves in Denver until Tuesday. The first training session is scheduled for Wednesday at 19 p.m. (CET) in Beaver Creek.