Federica Brignone motivated by flag bearer role in bid to be fit for Olympics

By: Andrew Dampf, The Associated Press Posted: 8:35 AM CST Monday, Dec. 22, 2025

ROME (AP) — The mere fact Federica Brignone accepted being named as one of Italy’s four flag bearers for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics is a significant step in her return from severe injury.

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ROME (AP) — The mere fact Federica Brignone accepted being named as one of Italy’s four flag bearers for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics is a significant step in her return from severe injury.

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ROME (AP) — The mere fact Federica Brignone accepted being named as one of Italy’s four flag bearers for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics is a significant step in her return from severe injury.

“If I wasn’t optimistic, I wouldn’t be here today and I wouldn’t have put my skis back on after eight months,” Brignone said after being handed the flag by Italy President Sergio Mattarella on Monday.

Brignone, the defending overall World Cup skiing champion, broke multiple bones in her left leg in April.

Italy's Federica Brignone delivers her speech during the hand over ceremony of the Italian flag by the Italian President Sergio Mattarella for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic games, at the Quirinale Presidential palace, in Rome, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

After two surgeries and months of rehab, she returned to the snow last month and is now ready to ramp up her training to racing pace.

“Over the last two weeks I’ve made a big leap forward. I’ve been able to use my racing materials,” she said. “But I still haven’t tested myself on race-worthy snow or on a real race course. Those are the next steps.”

Brignone will start gate training next.

“I was going to start yesterday but it was too foggy,” she said. “I’ve been really sick with a fever for a week, and now I’m here (in Rome), so I haven’t been able to train the way I wanted to.”

The 35-year-old Brignone has won a silver and two bronzes at the Olympics and these would be her fifth Games if she returns in time. At 34 last season, she became the oldest women’s winner in World Cup history — a record recently broken by 41-year-old Lindsey Vonn.

Brignone has limited training to her home Valle d’Aosta region but plans to be on her skis non-stop through the holidays.

“I’ve been staying at home because, with my leg, we don’t have the certainty that everything goes right all of the time,” she said. “That’s why I’m still making trips to Turin (for physical therapy).”

So, will Brignone be able to enter a World Cup race or two before the Olympics?

“That would be great but I don’t even know if I can do a giant slalom yet,” she said. “So let’s take it step by step … then when the time is right, I’ll rejoin the team.”

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics