CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Federica Brignone was taking in the magnitude of winning a second gold of her home Winter Olympics when the two silver-medalists approached the Italian skiing star in the finish area, dropped to their knees and bowed toward her.
Call her the Queen of the Dolomites.
Andy Wong via Associated Press
The 35-year-old Brignone couldn’t walk for three months early last year. Now she is a double Olympic champion after winning the giant slalom with some ease on Sunday, barely 72 hours after powering to a downhill title that she felt was like something out of a Hollywood movie.
She delivered quite the sequel, taking a lead of 0.34 seconds after the first run and then putting in a clean second run in gorgeous conditions amid the jagged peaks of the Dolomite mountains above Cortina.
Brignone finished 0.62 seconds ahead of defending champion Sara Hector and Thea Louise Stjernesund, who shared the silver medal.
“That was, like, the greatest show of GS skiing that we’ve had in a really long time,” said U.S. standout Mikaela Shiffrin, who finished in 11th place. “And to do it, you know, at the Olympics where people actually have eyes on the sport. Federica skied incredible. That was so cool to watch.”
Robert F. Bukaty via Associated Press
Shiffrin out of the medals again
It wasn’t so joyous for Shiffrin.
The American didn’t quite have the speed of Brignone or a number of her rivals in either run on a fairly flat course set by her own head coach, Karin Harjo, and ended 0.92 seconds off the lead. She has now failed to win a medal in eight straight Olympic races since the Winter Games in 2018.
Finishing just 0.30 seconds off second place suggested there might be more to come from Shiffrin, though, and redemption might arrive in her best event — the slalom — on Wednesday.
Indeed, Shiffrin didn’t show any outward signs of disappointment after her second run when she already knew she’d be out of the medals, blowing out her cheeks and waving to the fans in the grandstand with both hands.
Jacquelyn Martin via Associated Press
Brignone battles through pain
By that time, the locals were waiting for Brignone to come down the sun-kissed Olympia delle Tofane course for a second gold in four days.
It completes a stunning comeback for the popular Brignone, who was world champion in the GS in February last year before breaking multiple bones in her left leg in March that required surgery, a handful of screws to repair and left her unable to walk until the summer.
Brignone said after winning downhill gold that a day doesn’t go by where she doesn’t feel pain, yet she skied through it in a pair of runs her rivals couldn’t find fault with.
“She is the kindest, most genuine, athlete on tour,” U.S. skier Paula Moltzan said. “This comeback and to have two gold medals at home is, like, hands down, she’s clearly the best skier in the world right now.”
Before these home Games, Brignone had a silver and two bronzes at the Olympics. Now she has the big one — twice — and the loud home crowd lapped it up, chanting ‘FE-de, FE-de, FE-de’ during the medal ceremony.
