Federica Brignone Returns to Skiing After 8-Month Injury Recovery

Italian alpine ski racer Federica Brignone returned to the snow on Wednesday for the first time in nearly eight months, marking a key milestone in her recovery from severe leg injuries sustained during a national championship crash.

The 35-year-old champion from Valle d'Aosta completed several tentative runs on touring skis in Cervinia, Italy, under the supervision of technicians from the Italian Winter Sports Federation. The session, which lasted 237 days after her accident on April 3, represented the initial phase of a gradual rehabilitation plan that alternates on-snow training with gym-based strength exercises. Federation officials described the goal as building stability and confidence in her left leg, with further sessions planned in the coming weeks.

Brignone's injury occurred during the second run of a giant slalom at the Italian national championships. She suffered a comminuted fracture of the tibial plateau and fibular head, along with ligament damage, including a ruptured cruciate knee ligament. The crash forced her to undergo immediate surgery in Milan, followed by weeks of treatment at the JMedical clinic in Turin, where she focused on physiotherapy and rebuilding...