Ski great Brignone's first aim is to walk before thinking of next year's Olympics

MILAN (AP) — Italian skier Federica Brignone’s first aim is to walk again before she begins to even think of competing in next year’s home Olympics.

Brignone was discharged from the hospital only last Tuesday, five days after breaking multiple bones in her left leg and tearing her ACL in a giant slalom crash.

The injuries raised questions about 34-year-old Brignone's chances of competing at the Olympics in 10 months. The World Cup overall champion was expected to be one of Italy’s stars in the Milan-Cortina Games.

“I don’t know. We’re not doctors and they don’t know,” Brignone said on Monday, when asked about when she was expecting to be able to put on her skis again. “Everything depends on how the physiotherapy goes … on how my body responds. But before four or five months it’s impossible and that’s if everything goes well.

“Step by step. First, I’m thinking about walking again, and then we’ll see about the rest.”

Brignone reiterated that her issues will become clearer when she has more tests 45 days after the operation.

Brignone was nevertheless smiling as she spoke at a media day organized by the Italian winter sports federation, appearing via video link ahead of her first physiotherapy session.

“I’m a super positive person. What happened to me isn’t nice but it happened and I can’t go back in time,” she said. “So it’s useless to think negatively. I’m just trying to think positively and get through it the best way possible.

“I want to work for small aims, small steps and I’ll try to give my utmost to get better as quick as possible and in the best way possible.”

Brignone also published an Instagram post on Monday of pictures of her with the overall crystal globe and ending with a photo of her injury, with a long line of stitches or staples running down her leg.

Last season was the best in Brignone’s career and the crash happened at the Italian championships in what was meant to be a celebratory final week of competition.

Brignone, also the giant slalom winner at the world championships in February, won 10 World Cups across three different disciplines (five giant slaloms, three super-Gs and two downhills) this season. At 34, she became the oldest woman to win a World Cup race.

Her teammate, Sofia Goggia, who has had numerous injuries, got in touch with Brignone immediately after the incident.

“We spoke that very day she hurt herself,” Goggia said at the media day in Milan. “I called the federation’s doctor to ask about her and they were together at the hospital so he passed her to me.

“I then reiterated in a message that I would have wanted to be there, seeing unfortunately the experience I’ve had over the years.”

Goggia partially tore a cruciate ligament and suffered a “minor fracture” of a bone in her leg less than a month before the 2022 Beijing Olympics, yet she incredibly won silver in the downhill — four years after taking gold.

The 32-year-old also missed the start of last season after breaking two bones in her leg in February 2024. Goggia finished second in a downhill and won a super-G in her first two races back, in Beaver Creek in December.

“In my opinion her (Brignone’s) injury is very serious, but if she manages to heal well and put on skis in December she will have plenty of time to prepare for the Olympics in the best possible way,” Goggia said.

“Fifteen, 20 days (before Beaver Creek) were enough for me and moreover I was coming off many seasons in which I was injured. She, on the other hand, has had 34 years on skis without any really serious injuries and I think she will certainly have in her head the fight once she gets back.”

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

Italy's Sofia Goggia, right, smiles with Dominik Paris during a media day in Milan, Italy, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italy's Federica Brignone speeds down the course during a giant slalom at the Italian championships in the Lusia ski area, in Val di Fassa, Italy, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)

Overall World Cup skiing champion Italy's Federica Brignone is carried away on a toboga after she broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in the Lusia ski area, in Val di Fassa, Italy, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of homes and businesses across northern France and southern England were without power Friday morning and residents faced widespread travel delays after a storm swept in off the Atlantic, bringing high winds, rain and snow to the region.

The low-pressure system, named Storm Goretti, pummeled the Isles of Scilly overnight with wind gusts up to 99 mph (159 kph) recorded in the archipelago off the southwestern tip of England. Local government officials reported blocked roads, unstable buildings and power outages that left some people without water.

More than 57,000 were without power across southwestern England, the Midlands and Wales, according to National Grid, which runs the country’s electricity transmission network.

As the storm moved across the United Kingdom it collided with an existing mass of Arctic air, bringing snow to northern areas and heavy rain to the south.

That extended the misery in northern Scotland, where snowplows have been working overtime to keep roads open after more than half a meter (20 inches) of snow fell earlier in the week. More than 250 schools across Scotland were closed on Friday, with some remaining shut for a fifth straight day.

National Rail warned people across the U.K. to check before traveling because the storm had disrupted services across England, Scotland and Wales. Birmingham Airport, which closed briefly due to snow, said had reopened with “reduced runway operations.”

The disruptions came after the Met Office, Britain’s national weather service, issued a rare red weather warning — its highest — in southwestern England for Thursday evening.

Red warnings are issued when the forecaster considers it “very likely” there will be life-threatening conditions.

Strong winds from Storm Goretti also battered northwestern France on Friday, knocking out power to about 380,000 homes, authorities said. No major damage was reported Friday morning.

Most of the outages were concentrated in the Normandy region, according to Enedis, the national power grid operator.

France’s national weather service, Météo-France, had issued weather warnings ahead of the storm, urging residents to remain home. An overnight wind gust of up to 213 kph (132 mph) was recorded in Gatteville-le-Phare in Normandy.

Regional train services were suspended across northwestern France, with disruptions expected to last at least until Friday afternoon. High-speed rail services were operating, and authorities said they anticipated minimal impact on flights at Paris airports.

People cross the medieval Charles Bridge during a heavy snowfall in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A man clears snow from a walking path during a heavy snowfall in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Vehicles covered in snow are parked in Dowlais, near Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, as Storm Goretti continues in the UK. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)