MILAN — Freshly crowned overall World Cup skiing champion Federica Brignone broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships Thursday.
Brignone was the race leader at the Lusia ski area in Val di Fassa, but in her second run, she crashed through a gate and lost control, prompting her to tumble and crash through the next gate. She was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Trento.
She was diagnosed with multiple fractures in her tibial plateau and fibula bone, the Italian Winter Sports Federation said. It added that she would be moved to a hospital in Milan “for the completion of X-ray exams and to establish a timeline for surgery.”
Brignone, who also won the giant slalom at the world championships in February, was finishing up the best season of her career. She won 10 World Cup races across three disciplines: five giant slaloms, three super-Gs and two downhills.
She is expected to be one of the home stars of next year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics.
