Federica Brignone's comeback story reached another unforgettable chapter Sunday as the Italian star captured her second gold medal of the 2026 Winter Olympics, winning the women's giant slalom in front of a roaring home crowd in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Less than a year after suffering multiple leg fractures and undergoing two surgeries following a crash last April, Brignone delivered a commanding performance, finishing 0.69 seconds ahead of Sweden's Sara Hector. In a rare Olympic moment, Hector and Norway's Thea Louise Stjernesund - who tied for silver with identical times - knelt and bowed toward Brignone in a gesture of respect at the finish.
"I have too many emotions. I can't believe it," Brignone said afterward, reflecting on a journey that once appeared in doubt. She had returned to snow only in January after months of rehabilitation.
The 35-year-old had already won gold earlier in the week in the super-G. With Sunday's victory, she secured her fifth career Olympic medal and extended her own record as the oldest women's Olympic alpine skiing champion.
American skier Mikaela Shiffrin placed 11th, narrowly missing the podium in another tightly contested Olympic field.
For Italy, Brignone's double gold on home soil has become one of the defining stories of Milano Cortina 2026 - a powerful example of resilience, discipline, and belief overcoming adversity. In a sport measured by fractions of a second, her journey from surgery to supremacy may stand as one of these Games' most inspiring moments.
