CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Federica Brignone cemented her status as a national hero and Olympic legend on Sunday, capturing her second gold medal of the 2026 Winter Games in the women’s giant slalom. The 35-year-old Italian skier delivered a dominant performance on the Olympia delle Tofane slope, finishing 0.62 seconds ahead of a tie for silver between defending champion Sara Hector of Sweden and Thea Louise Stjernesund of Norway.
Brignone’s victory comes just three days after she won gold in the downhill, a result she described as “like something out of a Hollywood movie.” Her remarkable comeback story has captivated Italy and the world, particularly given her recovery from a severe leg break and torn ACL suffered last April. “I didn’t have the training that I wanted, I knew I had to make it better, I needed to be really concentrated and really push because I had no margin,” Brignone said, according to FIS-ski.com. “I didn’t have the pressure here to be one of the favourites and that I needed to defend anything, so I came here to just make my best skiing.”
The atmosphere was electric as Brignone approached the finish line, with the crowd falling silent before erupting in cheers. She had established a lead of 0.34 seconds after the first run and extended it with a clean second run in ideal conditions. The course, set by U.S. Head coach Karin Harjo, proved challenging for many, but Brignone navigated it with precision and power.
“That was, like, the greatest show of GS skiing that we’ve had in a really long time,” said American star Mikaela Shiffrin, who finished 11th. “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.”
Shiffrin, however, continued to struggle for a medal at these Games, failing to reach the podium for the eighth consecutive Olympic race since 2018. She finished just 0.92 seconds off the lead, suggesting she remains a contender in her best event, the slalom, scheduled for Wednesday.
Brignone’s victory is historic, making her the oldest female Olympic champion in alpine skiing. She has now equaled the record held by Italian skiing icon Alberto Tomba, surpassing Deborah Compagnoni’s previous mark. Following the race, Hector and Stjernesund demonstrated their respect for Brignone by kneeling and bowing before her in the finish area, a gesture of admiration for her incredible achievement.
The win also marks a record-setting performance for Italy at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, matching their highest medal count achieved at a Winter Games. The celebrations are expected to continue throughout Italy as the nation celebrates its skiing queen.
Brignone’s brother, Davide, expressed his admiration, stating, “I am amazed by my sister, despite having lived through her journey with her, regardless of the golds she has managed to win. It is an honor to be able to stand by her side.” Her mother, Ninna, added, “In recent months, everyone kept asking her, ‘Will you be there, will you come back?’ It was becoming a huge stress, and she was very good at not giving it any weight. That allowed her to ski freely.”