This is the smile of a champion: Federica Brignone won double gold. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

Private dreams and the future: Brignone opens her heart

Following her heroic gold medal performances at the Olympic Games, Federica Brignone spoke at length to the press yesterday – and at the same time put an end to rumors of her retirement.

February 16, 2026

From Cortina d'Ampezzo

"Press conference with Brignone tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. in the Casa Italia," said FISI press officer Andrea Facchinetti on Sunday in the mixed zone of the Olimpia delle Tofana to the assembled journalists. And with these few words, he set the writers' heads spinning. A press conference specially convened after her double gold – that sounded rather suspicious. And so, quite a few people wondered: "Is Brignone about to end her career?"

Monday, 10:32 a.m. The press room at Casa Italia is packed. Not only Italian, but also several international reporters have arrived. A huge graphic is projected on the screen, displaying the words "Grazie Tigre," meaning "Thank you, Tiger." The tiger is Brignone's trademark, which she also wears on her helmet. Outside, numerous onlookers and fans try to catch a glimpse of Brignone through the large glass windows as she is escorted into the room like a pop star and takes her place on the podium.

"What has happened in the last few days?" Federico Brignone

But it quickly becomes clear: This is not a farewell press conference from Brignone. Rather, the 35-year-old reflects on the past few days and offers a glimpse into her inner thoughts. "When I woke up today, I asked myself: What on earth has happened these past few days?" said a still somewhat incredulous Brignone.

Brignone was touched. © ANSA / DANIEL DAL ZENNARO

A gold medal in the Super-G, a gold medal in the giant slalom, her first Olympic victories of her career – and all this with practically no race experience. The Italian skier only returned to the World Cup at the end of January after her horrific injury last April. Here are the main topics Brignone addressed at the press conference.

The party after giant slalom gold

“I actually wanted to go to the Austria House yesterday (Sunday, editor's note), like I did after my gold medal in the Super-G. But in the end, I decided against it and stayed at the hotel with my family. It was an incredibly long day of interviews, and there would have been many more photo and interview appointments scheduled at the Austria House. I simply needed some peace and quiet.”

Brignone after her serious injury and with the gold medal. © ANSA / Instagram / ANSA

The brutal injury ten months ago

"My good fortune was that I accepted what had happened from the very first moment and tried to look ahead positively. Right after the fall, I said: It's not so bad. Of course, afterwards I saw the pictures, and it was a disaster. Nevertheless, I always remained positive. If something like this had happened to me ten years ago, I wouldn't be sitting here today."

Their sporting future

"I'm taking it day by day now. First up is a checkup at JMedical (Juventus' rehabilitation center, ed. note), which will show how many chances there are of me being able to compete in any more races this season. I'd like to continue the season because it allows me to train for many hours every day, which helps my leg. I'm still in pain, and I'm fed up with it. I don't want to take any more painkillers. So, I'll see what the doctors say."

Brignone will continue. © APA/afp / STEFANO RELLANDINI

Private Dreams

"I live in the here and now. One of my biggest dreams, however, is to travel someday, for as long as I want. Otherwise, I want to continue living my life as I have been. In my hometown in the Aosta Valley, people treat me like Federica; I go to village festivals and cafes with my friends. I hope that nothing changes."

Lindsey Vonn's serious injury

"I was very sorry, because I know what it means to suffer such a serious injury. She showed tremendous courage on her way back to the World Cup. And I think it's better to fail than not to try at all. Unfortunately, injuries are part of skiing. The big challenge is overcoming that fear."

The enormous hype surrounding her

"The best thing on Sunday would have been: crossing the finish line, a quick interview, and then leaving the stadium to celebrate with my family. It's just that when you achieve a victory like that, you don't celebrate for yourself. A wave simply washed over me, with interviews, photos, and so on. I have to admit: that's something that's been getting to me more and more as my career has progressed. I don't want to quit skiing, but this would be a reason to immediately say: I'm quitting, getting on the next plane, and going far, far away."