Skiing: Brignone, if I don’t improve, you’re unlikely to see me next year

Rome, 26 February (LaPresse) – ‘We decided to come here to Andorra, which is one of my favourite places, after they drained my knee and filled it with hyaluronic acid last Monday. Honestly, I was hoping to feel better, but I’m still struggling: I’m in a lot of pain, I’m having trouble putting weight on my ski, so you didn’t see me in practice today. As I’ve always said, I’ll assess the situation day by day.’ These are the words of two-time Olympic champion Federica Brignone, speaking via videoconference from the Principality of Andorra, where today she withdrew from the second downhill training run so as not to overload her left knee, which is still causing her a lot of problems: “It shouldn’t be torture, otherwise I have no intention of throwing myself down at 130 km/h. I am aware that this is permanent damage and that I will have to live with it: our bodies get used to everything and it will improve over the years, but the injury will remain for life. If it doesn’t improve, you are unlikely to see me next year,‘ she added. ’If all goes well, how long do I want to continue? It will all depend on my state of health. If it becomes torture, I’ll struggle, and if it doesn’t improve, it will be difficult to see me next year. I haven’t made a decision. I don’t feel like I want to quit yet, but I’m also fed up with feeling bad every day and being in pain. Sometimes I get excruciating pains, and that’s not nice,” she emphasised.