Federica: “What a thrill to be the flag-bearer. I would have loved to march at San Siro, even if it meant taking a helicopter back to Cortina. But it’ll be great to march with my team, too.”

The excitement is palpable. Federica Brignone is a tiger when she lowers her helmet at the start, ready to tackle the course with natural grace and speed—a status confirmed by her record as the most successful Italian skier in history. But once she takes off her blue racing suit, she comes across simply as a free-spirited, thoughtful woman—mentally strong, tempered by her experiences and a meticulous approach to maintaining her mental and physical balance. Had she not done so for most of her career, now that she’s 35, she would likely not have been at the starting line of these Olympics, following the serious injury exactly ten months ago that had everyone fearing the worst. Instead, yesterday, as she entered the hotel in Cortina hosting the Italian women’s alpine ski team, she smiled for a moment.

Is this really the same Federica who’s about to compete in her fifth Olympics?

“I’m the same as always—neither more patient nor more restless. To put it plainly, I approached these Games without knowing the race dates; I’ll think about that when the time comes. For now, I remain calm.”

Have the last few months been more or less as tough as if she’d been competing regularly on the World Cup circuit?

“Definitely tougher. It wasn’t just a matter of training and then having time for my own things—I spent every available hour first at J Medical in Turin for treatment and then traveling, whether home or to an event, but always accompanied by ice therapy and magnetotherapy. Even when I returned to the team, I didn’t allow myself a single moment of downtime with my teammates so I could do two more hours of physical therapy. I gave 100 percent to recover.”

Did you have a stronger motivation than the others?

“Being the flag bearer—much more so than just participating in the Games. I already knew back in the spring that I was one of the candidates, and that gave me a huge boost; I consider it an unparalleled privilege. I’ve already competed in four Olympics and won three medals—I don’t need another spectacular result to feel happy; I’ve gone far beyond what I could ever have dreamed of in my career.”

She dreamed of marching in Milan, her hometown.

“I would have loved to walk into San Siro—it was a sacrifice I would have gladly made, even if it meant taking a helicopter back to Cortina. But it’ll be wonderful to march with my team, too.”

From Vancouver 2010 to Beijing 2022: what memories do you have of your previous appearances?

“From Canada, I remember the joy of being there—my first Olympic Village and the exposure to other sports; it was wonderful. In Sochi in 2014, I went in with high hopes and, for the first time, stayed until the very end, while from PyeongChang I’ll never forget my first medal and the cold. Finally, China, which felt a bit like a prison because of the pandemic, but the lack of distractions helped me win two great medals on some really tough and cold slopes. In Cortina, I’ll miss not experiencing the Village, which is the essence of the Olympics, but at least we’re in a real mountain setting.”

President Mattarella will be in Cortina to watch the women’s super-G.

“It’s an honor that he chose us. When the Italian flag was presented at the Quirinale, he was happy to see me standing on my own two feet and said he was proud of my recovery journey. Besides, he’s a huge sports fan.”

After all this hard work, she has a wish to express. Please go ahead.

“I wish time would stand still so I could prepare the way I want to. Over the past few months, I’ve missed feeling good instead of having to stop training early because of pain; I miss my flexibility and not being able to do everything I want.”

What will be the biggest challenge in the race?

“Trusting myself, keeping my foot down during the toughest sections like I did last year. My goal is to keep getting faster; I’ve been working on that over the last few weeks. The feel is there, but to push myself to the limit, I’ll need even more courage—hoping my body will cooperate.”

You’ve trained your body as much as possible. And mentally, how have you prepared?

“I’ve done almost everything on my own; after years of experience, I know what to do. With two exceptions: a hypnosis session—where the subconscious takes over—and then I asked Giuseppe Vercelli, our sports psychologist, for help when it was time to put my skis back on.”

You’ve always considered skiing a team sport. Who made it possible for you to be in Cortina?

“Federico Bristot, head of the physical therapists at J Medical: when I arrived in Turin, I told him he’d get bored of me, but he replied that I’d be the one who’d have had enough—and he was right. He was fantastic; in all those months, we didn’t make a single misstep. Then there were Luca Scarian, Giuseppe Abruzzini, Darwin Pozzi, and Dr. Giovanni Bianchi from the federation—I thank them from the bottom of my heart for the enthusiasm they showed in supporting me through this miracle. This is the result of teamwork, and it will be special to hit the slopes for them as well.”

What role did your mother, Ninna Quario, and your brother Davide—who also served as a coach—play?

“They gave me incredible support, with all the travel and so much more. It can’t have been easy for them at all; I thank them for that. Of course, when I started skiing again, Davide came back to coach me on the slopes alongside Sbarde (the legendary ski technician Mauro Sbardelotto, ed.), and we’ve grown even closer.”

Last year you won big in Cortina for the first time. What kind of snow would you like to find to repeat that success?

“I’m speaking for my left leg: usually in Cortina you find a cold, aggressive slope, but this time I’d like warm, spring-like, icy snow. In any case, I won’t have a choice—I’ve learned to give my all in all conditions, and this time too I’ll try to give 100 percent of myself on the course, hoping that it will be enough.”