Updated - Brignone Breaks Leg, Damages ACL In Crash

Federica Brignone. suffered multiple displaced fractures in her left leg following a serious giant slalom crash during the national championships in Val di Fassa on Thursday (3 April).

A smiling Federica Brignone left the “La Madonnina” clinic in Milan today, where she had been hospitalized since last Thursday following the serious accident that occurred during the women's giant slalom valid for the Italian Championships at Alpe Lusia. The World Cup holder and giant slalom world champion is now starting the long journey that will lead her back to the track.

"I want to thank everyone who helped me in these days - he said -, from the rescuers present on the slopes to the Federation, passing through the Carabinieri Sports Center. I thought it was a normal operation, instead what all the doctors did, starting from the FISI Medical Commission led by Andrea Panzeri who operated on me together with Riccardo Accetta and Gabriele Thiebat, was something strong. I realized only after the operation how much I risked, I thought it was a quick thing, in reality everything they did to reduce the waiting time and avoid dangerous complications was decisive. It was the best moment of my life: unfortunately if you are a skier by profession, it can happen. This tough is a bit too much, but I really received so much affection. They were five days in which I received so much positive energy. We don't know how long it will take to get back, we will work hard for the objectives. The first will be related to the physiotherapy that I will start next Monday. From there we will do a CT scan to check the healing of the bone, then we will try to understand how to move to make the best choice. I am definitely not one to give up, from the negative things in life you can learn to be a better person. Surely from such a bad situation there will be some positive things. I will do things calmly, I will live the next few months in the most positive and happy way possible”.

The reigning world champion in giant slalom recorded the best time in her first run, but in the second she straddled a gate at high speed, crashing heavily and had to be airlifted from the slope by helicopter. 

The 34-year-old from Milan suffered a displaced and comminuted fracture of the tibial plateau and fibular head in her left leg as a result of the incident. 

Brignone said of her crash: "The conditions on the slopes were perfect. I felt good, and if I could go back, I would do the same thing, but... trying not to fall.

"As usual, I do things in a big way or I don't do them at all!This time I did it big (in a negative way).

"I wanted to thank those who helped me on the track, those who helped me in Trento, the Fisi medical team who operated on me and those who are taking care of me here at the Clinica La Madonnina.

"Thanks to all of you who are writing to me, luckily I have a lot of friends who keep me company and make me laugh"

In a statement, the Italian Winter Sports Federation said "Federica Brignone, who fell during the second run of the women's giant slalom valid for the Italian Championships held at Alpe Lusia (Tn), underwent a CT scan at the Santa Chiara hospital in Trento which highlighted the multi-fragmentary compound fracture of the tibial plateau and the head of the fibula of her left leg. The FISI Medical Commission is closely monitoring the conditions of the champion from the Aosta Valley and has arranged for her transfer to the "La Madonnina" clinic in Milan, where the radiological tests will be completed and the surgical procedure will be established."

They refer to Brignone having "straddled a pole in the second and was thrown into the air and suffered a compound fracture of the tibial plateau and the head of the fibula." Some media outlets are also reporting an injury to the ACL.

Brignone was set to have surgery and will be out for "months," Italian Winter Sports Federation medical chief Andrea Panzeri said. "It's a serious fracture. But she's strong and fortunately healthy as she had never had any big injuries before today," Panzeri said. "It's tough to make estimates now. I'll tell you more afterward. Don't ask me about the Olympics or recovery times yet. We need to see how we can reduce the fracture and then we'll be able to be more precise later [today] or tomorrow morning."

For what it's worth the race winner was the Carabiniere from Bergamo Ilaria Ghisalberti who completed the two runs in a total time of 2',17”,74/100, preceding Lara Della Mea from Tarvisio of the Centro Sportivo Esercito by 61/100 and Carabiniere from Vicenza Asja Zenere by 1”,73/100. Sixth place at 2”,56/100 for the Borgaro woman Marta Bassino of the Army Sports Center, tenth for the Limone carabiniere Melissa Astegiano, twenty-fourth for the Chieri woman Maria Toja of the Lancia Ski Club, twenty-eighth for the Turin woman Margherita Cecere of the Lancia, thirty-sixth for the Verzuolo woman Sofia Mattio of the Sestriere Ski Club. The Italian Absolute Women's Championships continue on Friday 4 April with the Super-G on the La VolatA slope of the Passo San Pellegrino, which on Thursday 3 was instead the scene of the men's Super-G, won by the Garda financier with a time of 1',08”,07/100 and with gaps of 98/100 and 1”,13/100 respectively on the Lecco native Nicolò Molteni of the Army Sports Center and the Alto Adige carabiniere Florian Schieder. An excellent fifth place for the Cesano financier Leonardo Rigamonti, detached by 1”,30/100 and therefore only 17/100 from the podium. Eighth place for the financier from Sestriere Matteo Franzoso and eleventh place for the carabiniere from Bardonecchia Giovanni Borsotti. 

Get well soon Federica !