Martina Peterlini posted a message from her hospital bed. © Social Media

"Now you can heal": Italian ski star undergoes surgery

After enduring persistent pain, Martina Peterlini can now look to the future with optimism. The woman from Trentino underwent surgery on her right knee on Thursday.

April 03, 2026

From: leo

Peterlini is Italy's best slalom skier alongside Lara Della Mea, but has been struggling with severe pain in her right knee for years. The reason: a fatal fall in 2021 during the European Cup slalom in Ahrntal, in which the 28-year-old suffered a tear of the cruciate ligament, meniscus, and collateral ligament.

In September of last year, she had to undergo surgery again to remove a bone spur in her injured knee. As a result, she missed the first two races of the season in Levi and Gurgl. Nevertheless, she managed to qualify for the Olympic Games in her home country and for the World Cup Final in Hafjell. However, she did not compete in Norway because patellar tendonitis sidelined her.

A long way back

As she announced on social media on Thursday, she has now undergone another operation to finally eliminate the pain. "My dear tendon, now you can finally heal," the 28-year-old commented. Peterlini will now be out of action for up to six months before she can ski again. However, she should be fit in time for the start of the season in autumn.

Martina Peterlini posted this picture from her hospital bed.

Peterlini, originally from Rovereto and a graduate of the sports high school in Mals, boasts three top-10 finishes in the World Cup, with a seventh-place finish (in Jasna in 2021) being her best result. Last winter, the slalom specialist finished tenth in Kranjska Gora. At the Cortina Olympics, she became a tragic figure when she was eliminated from the team combined event after her teammate Laura Pirovano finished third in the downhill.