Federica Brignone likens comeback from broken leg to super-G gold at home Olympics to a 'fake' film

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Federica Brignone tilted her head up toward the sky and watched the Italian Air Force’s acrobatic unit leave behind a trail of the country’s colors amid the jagged peaks of the Dolomites as the sun finally peeked through the clouds of what had been a gray day at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

With Italy President Sergio Mattarella in attendance, Brignone walked out moments later to step up on the podium and soon had a gold medal draped around her neck.

The fairytale-like scene after Brignone’s super-G victory at the Winter Olympics on Thursday, 10 months after the Italian skier broke multiple bones in her left leg and was unable to even walk for three months, seemed like something out of a Hollywood film.

“One of those films that you don’t believe in because it’s not possible for it to end that well,” Brignone said. “A fake.”

Turns out this one was real, though.

The 35-year-old Brignone earned the one big prize missing in her storied career by completing an improbable comeback to earn her first Olympic gold medal.

Known as “the Tiger” for her feisty personality and the aggressive animal design on her helmet, Brignone unleashed a scream and a series of fist pumps after putting down a near-perfect run on a day when teammate Sofia Goggia and many other contenders couldn’t even finish their runs on a technical course-set made more difficult by fog and flat light.

It wasn't even close.

Brignone was only the sixth starter but she finished a massive 0.41 seconds ahead of silver medalist Romane Miradoli of France and 0.52 ahead of bronze medalist Cornelia Huetter of Austria.

At 35, Brignone became the oldest woman to win gold in Alpine skiing at the Olympics. It was also her fourth Olympic medal after claiming silver in the Super-G and bronze in the team event at the 2022 Beijing Games. She also earned bronze in the Super-G in Pyeongchang in 2018. Brignone’s four Olympic medals now match Deborah Compagnoni for the most by an Italian women’s skier.

Brignone dominated en route to her second overall World Cup title last season — including a World Cup super-G victory on the Olympia delle Tofane course in Cortina 13 months ago. Then in April, she crashed at the Italian championships.

It required two surgeries and 42 stitches to put her leg back together. And then months of rehab. She didn’t compete again until late January — little more than two weeks before the Olympics.

“I didn’t know if I would be able to walk again. Or ever ski again,” she said. “For me it was just special to be here.”

Andrea Panzeri, the chief physician for the Italian Winter Sports Federation, noted that Brignone still has a metal rode and “at least seven or eight screws” holding her injured leg together.

“To be honest, it was unthinkable,” Panzeri said of winning gold after such an injury. “But we made the right decisions in terms of the timetable. We operated on her the night she was injured. The bone and ligaments needed to heal at different paces. The second surgery was required because she couldn’t bend her knee beyond 90%.

“But it’s the champion that makes the difference,” Panzeri added. “A normal person would still be in rehab.”

Downhill champion Breezy Johnson of the U.S. caught her right pole on a gate shortly after exiting the speed-building chute at the start of the course and lost her balance. She ended up slamming into the safety fences but was quickly able to get back on her feet.

Johnson still had a piece of hardware waiting for her at the finish. Longtime boyfriend Connor Watkins proposed shortly after the race ended and Johnson gleefully accepted the sapphire and white gold ring.

Johnson was hardly the only one who ran into trouble in difficult conditions. Goggia, currently atop the World Cup super-G standings, 2018 Olympic gold medalist Ester Ledecka of Czechia and American Mary Bocock — in the race after U.S. star Lindsey Vonn severely injured her left leg in the downhill on Sunday — were all unable to make it down safely.

In all, 16 of the 42 skiers didn't reach the finish and for many of those who did, it was a rocky ride.

Brignone was one of four flag bearers for Italy during the opening ceremonies. At one point, still bothered by the pain in her left leg nearly 10 months after her terrifying crash in Val di Fassa, Brignone asked curler Amos Mosaner to carry her on his shoulders. Mosaner obliged, leaving Brignone free to wave the flag.

“It’s like a fairytale for Fede. She’s amazing," said Alice Robinson of New Zealand, who finished tied for eighth, more than a second behind. "I remember watching her run last year here in the super-G, it was amazing, and thinking ‘Oh, if she pulls that off next year, it’s going to be good.’ But to come through what she’s done and pull this off today is pretty incredible.”

Vonn, who knows a thing or two (or three) about responding to adversity, gave her longtime friend and competitor a shoutout.

"Congrats Fede,” Vonn tweeted. “What an incredible comeback!!”

AP National Writer Will Graves contributed to this report.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Italy's Federica Brignone, center, gold medalist in an alpine ski, women's super-G race, celebrates with silver medalist France's Romane Miradoli, left, and bronze medalist Austria's Cornelia Huetter, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The Italian Frecce Tricolori acrobatic squad flies above during the medal ceremony of an alpine ski, women's super-G race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Italy's Federica Brignone speeds down the course, during an alpine ski, women's super-G race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Italy's Federica Brignone reacts in the finish area, during an alpine ski, women's super-G race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Italy's Federica Brignone, center, gold medalist in an alpine ski, women's super-G race, silver medalist France's Romane Miradoli, left, and bronze medalist Austria's Cornelia Huetter, take a selfie at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates winning the gold medal in an alpine ski, women's super-G race, with the team, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, women's super-G race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Italy's Federica Brignone speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's super-G race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Italy's Federica Brignone at the finish area, during an alpine ski, women's super-G race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

PHOENIX (AP) — When Jennifer Rizzotti arrived at UConn as a player in 1992, the expectations around the school, as well as the women's basketball landscape, were much different than they are today.

Geno Auriemma was only in his eighth season coaching the Huskies. UConn hadn't yet hoisted a national championship trophy. There wasn't nearly the same pressure to win that the Huskies face now. And women's basketball as a whole hadn't seen the unprecedented growth in sponsorships and popularity it is experiencing now.

By the 1994-95 season, Rizzotti and fellow UConn standout Rebecca Lobo helped the Huskies go undefeated en route to their first national title. Everything about the program changed, and even as women's basketball has evolved and skyrocketed in exposure, the Huskies have remained the gold standard.

“There was no thought that we were going to be undefeated,” Rizzotti said. “We didn't have that internal pressure. We didn't have external pressure. That's the last time a UConn team could play that way. Think about that: 1995 is the last time a UConn team could play without that kind of pressure.”

The Huskies have since won 12 national titles, reached the Final Four 25 times and won 30 conference titles. They've been ranked 653 weeks in The Associated Press women's basketball poll, and Auriemma is the winningest coach in women's college basketball history.

As conversations around the Final Four in Phoenix center around how the women's game has grown, the Huskies, who are competing for the second straight national title, have been at the forefront.

“You could tell that everything was aligned for this program to reach that pinnacle," said Rizzotti, who is currently the president of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. “I don't think anything of us would have predicted that it would have gone on as it had.”

Rizzotti joined former UConn players Stefanie Dolson, currently with the WNBA's Washington Mystics, and Shea Ralph, now Vanderbilt's coach, on a panel Friday at “The AP Top 25 Fan Poll Experience,” which is being held at Arizona State’s First Amendment Forum in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Earlier Friday, Big East commissioner Val Ackerman, former Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) commissioner Rich Ensor and AP women’s poll founder Mel Greenberg spoke on a panel moderated by college basketball analyst Debbie Antonelli on the growth of women's basketball at the college and pro levels.

“I think women's basketball has never been more popular,” said Ackerman, who was the first president of the WNBA from 1996-2005. “I think schools that are succeeding are really seeing, feeling and believing in the (return on investment). And UConn's a case in point.”

Ackerman sees the investment that the schools in this year's Final Four — UConn, Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA — have made in their programs to reach back-to-back national semifinals as a reflection of the growing importance of pouring resources into women's hoops.

“And that's done a world of good,” she added. “Programs like South Carolina, UCLA, you see what they're doing for their campuses. The investment is paying off in terms of the brand and engagement with the community and school reputation.”

Even as women's sports are drawing record crowds and WNBA players are set to make more money than ever, Ensor sees much more room to capitalize on this current growth.

“It has been about breaking down barriers, and they still exist,” Ensor said. “We marvel at what's happened, but we still recognize there's a lot more that's to come.”

AP Top 25 Fan Poll Experience: https://apnews.com/https:/apnews.com/projects/arizona-state-fan-poll-experience/

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

FILE - Connecticut's Breanna Stewart, left, drives to the basket as Cincinnati's Maya Benham, right, defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

From left, Debbie Antonelli, Val Ackerman, Rich Ensor and Mel Greenberg sit on a panel during an event Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Val Ackerman, commissioner of the Big East Conference, listens during an event Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/John Locher)

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma reacts after his team defeated Notre Dame in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)