Italy, the host of the Olympics, faces another setback as top female skier Marta Bassino sustains a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau in her left leg during pre-season training. The injury occurred during a crash on a flat section of a course in Val Senales, Northern Italy, while she was preparing for the upcoming World Cup race in Soelden, Austria. Due to this unfortunate incident, Bassino will miss the early part of the World Cup season and potentially the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
Adding to the Italian team’s woes, Federica Brignone, the overall World Cup champion, is also recovering from injuries sustained during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in April. Brignone suffered multiple leg fractures and a torn anterior cruciate ligament, with her return to skiing still uncertain.
Despite these challenges, Bassino’s impressive track record includes winning gold in the super-G event at the 2023 world championships and securing seven World Cup victories, with six in giant slalom and one in downhill. She also clinched a parallel gold at the 2021 worlds in Cortina, the venue for women’s skiing events at the upcoming Olympics.