Brignone wins Italy's first Alpine gold in women's super-G

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- After days of waiting, host Italy celebrated its first Alpine skiing gold medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games, as Federica Brignone stormed to victory in the women's super-G on Thursday.

At Tofane Alpine Skiing Center, the 35-year-old veteran delivered an outstanding performance in snowy conditions, clocking a winning time of one minute and 23.41 seconds.

Still in recovery from a leg injury, Brignone had described herself as "an outsider" ahead of the race. But on a demanding, highly technical course, the Italian's performance was flawless. She also became the oldest Olympic champion in women's Alpine skiing.

"I never thought I could win gold after my injury," Brignone said. "It's crazy. I don't think I've realized it, even with some time already."

France's Romane Miradoli, 31, claimed silver with a time of 1:23.82, while Austria's Cornelia Huetter, 33, took bronze in 1:23.93. Both athletes secured their first Olympic medals.

Huetter described her run as intense and emotional: "I was shaking at the start. The course was incredibly challenging, with so many rollers and blind gates. I was fighting all the way down. I thought this might be my last Olympic super-G, so I knew I had to give it everything."

The difficult course and challenging weather conditions led to 17 of the 43 starters failing to finish, including Italy's Sofia Goggia, leader of the World Cup super-G standings, and Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic, the dual-sport Olympic champion in Alpine skiing and snowboarding. ■