Brignone completes emotional comeback with Olympic Super G gold

Federica Brignone (ITA/Rossignol) brought home joy to the Cortina slopes with a remarkable victory in the Super G at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games.

Brignone roared to victory an astonishing ten months after a double leg break, securing Italy’s first alpine gold of these Games.

The Italian was joined on the podium by Romane Miradoli (FRA/Dynastar) in silver and Cornelia Huetter (AUT/Head) in bronze.

Brignone completes ultimate comeback

The tiger has roared. Brignone made a comeback from a double leg break just weeks before a home Games. Then she went to the Games and became an Olympic champion. It could well be the plot of a leading Hollywood movie. Federica Brignone’s incredible victory in the Super G has instantly become one of the stories of these Games.

Just last month, Brignone told us that “the Olympics are a big goal but I don’t know which disciplines and how many races. It depends on my leg. I still need to train and see if it’s makeable and if I have the level to make it.”

She made it. She had the level. And she won Olympic gold.

Heading into what became an Olympic title-winning run, Brignone reveals she just had focus on letting her work do the talking. “I was expecting my skiing to be really confident and try to make every turn clean and be, not perfect, but to let my skis go and be smooth through the terrain."

To win an Olympic gold anywhere in any circumstances is the pinnacle. But the way Brignone did it – not to mention the location – is a thing of fairytales. "It's crazy. I don't think I've realised it, even with some time already. I have experience, so I know exactly what I did, but I think I will enjoy it more with my team after." 

And after the months of recovery, that is just what Brignone deserves. With perhaps the biggest smile of the Games so far on the podium, Brignone's comeback is complete in the most remarkable way possible.

The Super G Story

Bib number one belonged to Malorie Blanc (SUI/Atomic) after her stunning maiden victory in the final World cup before these Games in Crans Montana. She was followed out and slightly bettered by Lauro Pirovano (ITA/Head) at an early 1:24.17, before double heartbreak within the first four. Both Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (GER/Rossignol) and Mirjam Puchner (AUT/Atomic) failed to finish amidst cloudy conditions.

Corinne Suter (SUI/Head) struggled at times as well, though the 2022 downhill Olympic champion was at least able to cross 0.63 behind Pirovano. There was perhaps more anticipation for bib six than any other racer though. Federica Brignone’s powerful return from such a serious injury has been the talk of the host nation, and she showed exactly why. Brignone pushed through pain to deliver pure delight for the hosts, creating a 0.76s lead as the comeback reached a new height.

Olympic medallist Emma Aicher (GER/Head) was another of the favourites, but she became the third unable to finish as her run of back-to-back podiums came to a close. The despair amidst some of the medal hopefuls continued, this time Ester Ledecka (CZE/Kaestle) losing her footing on the path to the line.

Heartbreak continued, and this time it was the turn of another of the home medal hopes. Sofia Goggia (ITA/Atomic) had all the speed at the midway point of her run, but a couple of mistakes dragged her from the course as dreams of another podium disappeared. Medal ambitions didn’t let up for Cornelia Huetter (AUT) though. A largely error-free run from the 2023 World bronze medallist moved her ahead of Pirovano and into second after the first ten racers. And for Italy, hopes of multiple medals ended as both Ariane Raedler (AUT/Head) joined her Austrian teammate Huetter inside the top three.

There was to only be one more change to that top three, coming in the form of France's Romane Miradoli. The French athlete slotted into silver, the final addition to what was ultimately a Brignone/Huetter podium, as a list of athletes including USA duo Breezy Johnson (USA/Atomic) and Mary Bocock (USA/Rossignol) found themselves unable to complete the course.  

Click here for full results from the Super G

Romane fights for silver

A story of perseverance runs through this Super G final, and it’s the tale too for Romane Miradoli. The new Olympic silver medallist has had her tough moments over the years, but demonstrated the inner-fight to get herself back on course and to her greatest moment yet.

“All the athletes work so hard but last year, when I was in Garmisch I maybe wanted to stop. I asked myself, is it done for you? No, I had to continue because I can push more and I still believed. I changed some things in my preparation and everything and it just paid off.”

And prior to receiving her medal, the French medallist had a message for anyone in a similar situation. “Never give up. Just trust in yourself. I know it’s easy to say but you have to believe it. One time it’s going to be hard but in the end, it’s going to be so beautiful.”

Huetter through for bronze

“I was just shaking. The run was crazy, I was fighting like hell.”

Cornelia Huetter knew coming into this that it could be a final opportunity at a medal, and after seeing racers before her fail to complete the course amidst the cloud, there was plenty going against her. But the Austrian defied it all to get her first Games medal.

“It was so challenging with all the rollers and blind gates behind them. It was so difficult. I thought it would be my last super-G in an Olympic race, so I knew I had to go all in at the start gate. I saw the Olympic flags on the first gate. I knew it's the last time at the start gate to have a feeling like that.”

Still to come at the Games

After a frantic week, we’re now more than halfway through our alpine finals at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games. That means the athletes get a well-deserved break on Friday, the first since competition began last weekend.

This weekend (14/15) it’s all attention on the Giant Slalom, with the 16^th and 18^th seeing the Slalom in men’s and women’s competition.

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