Brignone Breaks Leg, Reportedly 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).
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.
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 !
