Federica Brignone of Italy claimed the gold medal in the women's super-G at the 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing in 1 minute, 23.41 seconds. The 35-year-old skier triumphed just 10 months after suffering a torn ACL and multiple fractures in a crash. France's Romane Miradoli took silver, and Austria's Cornelia Huetter earned bronze on a challenging course in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
In Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Federica Brignone delivered a stunning performance on the Olympia delle Tofane slope during the women's super-G event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The course, marked by fog, slipperiness, and jumps into turns, caused 11 of the first 25 skiers to fall. Brignone, starting sixth, completed her run without major errors, securing gold by 0.41 seconds over Miradoli and 0.52 seconds ahead of Huetter.
Brignone's victory came after a severe injury in April at the Italian championships, where she tore her anterior cruciate ligament and fractured her calf and tibial plateau, requiring two surgeries. She returned to World Cup competition in January, finishing sixth in a giant slalom and 18th in a super-G before placing 10th in the Olympic downhill.
"I was just trying to ski my best," Brignone said on the NBC broadcast. "I know I was an underdog today, I was an outsider. It has been really hard... but I believed it." At 35, she became the oldest woman to win an Olympic Alpine skiing medal and the first Italian to claim Alpine gold on home snow since 1994.
Several top contenders struggled. Italy's Sofia Goggia, leading the World Cup super-G standings, went off course. New Zealand's Alice Robinson, another leader, skied conservatively and finished out of podium contention, citing soft, wet snow conditions. United States' Breezy Johnson, the downhill gold medalist, clipped a gate and hit safety nets but avoided serious injury. Her teammate Mary Bocock also crashed but continued. Czech Republic's Ester Ledecka, a multiple Olympic champion in skiing and snowboarding, went off course.
Brignone, with 37 World Cup wins and previous Olympic silvers and bronzes, expressed gratitude for competing at home. "It has been, like, a long way," she noted, emphasizing her calm approach free from pressure due to her recovery.
