Italian Alpine skiing star Federica Brignone, who suffered a severe leg injury earlier this year, is set to participate in the upcoming Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, confirmed the Italian Olympic committee chief on Friday. Brignone, the current World Cup overall champion, made a remarkable return to skiing in November after a lengthy recovery from a double leg fracture sustained at a national championship event in April.
Luciano Buonfiglio, the head of the Italian Olympic Committee, revealed during a press conference that Brignone has received positive results from recent tests and is determined to compete at the Winter Games. The 35-year-old athlete, who has never clinched an Olympic gold medal, expressed her excitement about representing Italy at the prestigious event, which is scheduled to take place from February 6 to 22.
Brignone, reflecting on the honor of being chosen as one of the flag-bearers, stated that it was a dream come true for her. Despite the challenges she faced during her recovery, she remained resolute in her determination to return to competitive skiing.
The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics will be a multi-location event. Brignone, along with mixed doubles curling Olympic champion Amos Mosaner, will carry the Italian flag in Cortina, where the Alpine skiing and curling competitions will be hosted. Meanwhile, record-breaking short track speed skater Arianna Fontana and cross-country skier Federico Pellegrino have been selected as flag-bearers for the ceremony in Milan.