Aosta / Frankfurt am Main, February 16, 2026 | Just ten months after a severe leg fracture, Federica Brignone has won two gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games in Cortina. Her triumph in the Super-G on February 12 was followed by victory in the giant slalom – her signature discipline – on February 15. At 35 years old, the skier from Aosta Valley became the oldest Olympic champion in alpine skiing. For Italy's smallest region, her success is far more than an athletic achievement. It is the story of an impossible comeback that became a fairy tale.

Super-G: The First Stroke

On February 12, Brignone raced down the demanding Super-G course on the Olympia delle Tofane in 1:23.41 minutes, leaving French silver medalist Romane Miradoli (+0.41) and Austrian bronze medalist Cornelia Hütter (+0.52) behind. Initially in sixth and seventh place at the start of the race, she dominated the crucial sections, giving her competitors no chance.

Giant Slalom: The Crowning Achievement

Three days later, the next triumph followed in the giant slalom. With a total time of 2:13.50 minutes, Brignone distanced the tied second-place finishers Sara Hector (Sweden) and Thea Louise Stjernesund (Norway) by 0.62 seconds. She laid the foundation in the first run, where she built a comfortable lead. Despite an extremely tight field, she was clearly ahead – competitors and experts alike were impressed by her performance.

Her first Olympic gold had already made the “Tigress of La Salle” the oldest alpine skiing Olympic champion of all time – with the second, she definitively made history. This came after an injury many considered career-ending: in April 2025, Brignone suffered a double leg fracture and a torn ACL at the Italian Championships. She was back on skis only in November 2025, returning to the World Cup just three weeks before the Olympics – with only two races for preparation.

Roots in the Mountains

Born in Milan but raised in La Salle in Aosta Valley, surrounded by Monte Bianco, Matterhorn, Gran Paradiso, and Monte Rosa, the region's mountain landscape shaped Brignone's career. As the flag bearer for the Italian delegation at the opening ceremony, she already held a prominent role. With her double gold in front of a home crowd, she has now become a hero to an entire nation.

Athletically, Brignone is exceptionally successful. With over 30 World Cup victories, two overall World Cup triumphs (2020 and 2025), and Olympic medals in Pyeongchang 2018 (bronze in giant slalom) and Beijing 2022 (silver in giant slalom, bronze in combined), she is one of the most successful athletes in skiing. Furthermore, she is committed as an ambassador for sustainability and sport – values that are also lived in Aosta Valley, where almost a third of the area is protected by national parks and nature reserves. With Brignone's double gold and cross-country skier Federico Pellegrino's relay bronze, Aosta Valley once again proved its significance as the cradle of Italian winter sports at the 2026 Olympic Games.

Note for Editors:

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