More than five months after breaking her right leg, Sofia Goggia admits to still being in pain and considering skipping the World Cup season in favor of the 2026 Olympics. The Italian ski racer returned to on-snow training in June after suffering a triple fracture in February, but the experience has been excrutiating. In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the two-time Olympian, shared that she was crying underneath her goggles on her first couple of turns.
The Italian speed specialist broke her right leg during training in February at the Ponte di Legno Tonale ski area in Italy. It was not her first serious injury; the 31-year-old has torn her ACL several times in both knees, fractured her tibial plateau more than once, fractured the fibular malleolus, suffered a compound radius fracture of the left arm, fractured her fibula, and fractured her hand. However, this was the worst injury the Italian had admitted, and the recovery was also the hardest. The Italian shared that it was not just the physical pain but also the emotional toll of potentially facing the end of her racing career, โI had a dark period in which, yes, I thought I would no longer be a high-level skier. I suffered terribly from this accident. Lindsey Vonn once said that the worst pain is the one no one sees; but those closest to me must have known.โ
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Nicknamed โThe Queen of Speed,โ the Italian is known for her resilience and drive, but Goggia could not hide her frustration in the interview with the slow recovery from this injury. She has worked hard on her rehabilitation and strength training, but the pain remains, and certain activities, like running, are still not possible for the Italian athlete due to pain at the sheath of the anterior tibial tendon.
According to her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Andrea Panzeri, Goggia will have to learn to live with the pain. Much of the pain stems from paraesthesia (nerve damage), and Goggia is planning to experiment with different inserts into her boots to alleviate the pain, such as carbon inserts. The Italian speed skier hopes to find a solution in time for the training in Ushuaia, Argentina, which kicks off on August 19. If a satisfactory solution cannot be found, the head coach of the Italian womenโs ski team, Gianluca Rulfi, has suggested that the athlete skip the 24/25 World Cup season and instead focus on the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina. It is an option Goggia is seriously considering, โI want the Olympics,โ the four-time Olympic medal winner shared, โI am ready to skip a year to win again at the Olympics.”
It is not the first time Goggia has openly spoken about her struggles with her recovery; the four-time Downhill season champion gave a heartfelt interview in May this year. Her openness shines a bright light on these elite athletes’ physical and emotional struggles after serious injuries.ย She is not alone in her struggles, Norwegian speed specialist Aleksander Aamodt Kilde returned to on-snow training this month after devastating injuries incurred during the 23/24 season. Kilde has not made any public statement yet about his return to the 24/25 World Cup circuit and has been caged with making any prognosis as to his ability to return to competitive skiing.
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