Cruciate ligament rupture, fibula fracture, splintered hand: Ski goddess nevertheless "never thought about quitting"

Falls and injuries have plagued ski star Sofia Goggia since her young age. Despite setbacks, however, the end of her career was never an option for her.

Bergamo – The list of injuries to ski superstar Sofia Goggia is long. So long, in fact, that most of her competitors would probably have put their skis in the corner long ago. Goggia, however, is still part of the party. The 2018 Italian Olympic champion won the Downhill World Cup for the fourth time last season with a total of 740 points. And this after a period marked by injuries.

Despite the hardships of her career: Sofia Goggia never thought about quitting

In the downhill from St. Moritz in December 2022, Goggia broke two fingers, but she was back on the slopes the next day. Overnight, the top performer of the Italian team had screws and plates inserted into her hand in Milan before she drove back to St. Moritz. The following day became Sofia Goggia's day: after her nightly excursion, she promptly won the second downhill ahead of Ilka Stuhec and Kira Weidle.

In Sicily and Ibiza, Goggia treated herself to rest for her body before preparing for the upcoming winter sports season. She used her free time to answer questions from her fans. "Have you ever thought about quitting?" was one follower's question. "When I took off the bandage after my hand surgery in December, I was very desperate and wondered where this sport would take me," the successful ski racer openly admitted. Goggia went on to say "that I did it to be able to race the next day. So I would say that despite the hardships, I never really thought about quitting."

In St. Moritz, ski goddess Sofia Goggia celebrated her downhill victory despite a hand injury. © IMAGO/Jari Pestelacci

From cruciate ligament ruptures to fractures: Bad luck with skiing goddess Goggia

Goggia's successful career has been overshadowed several times by serious falls and surgeries in recent years. Even at the beginning of her career. At the end of 2013, the Italian scored her very first World Cup points in Beaver Creek (USA). A few days later, after a fall in the downhill of Lake Louise (Canada), he was bitterly diagnosed with a cruciate ligament rupture in his left knee. And that was at the time when her career was really taking off. Recurring knee problems made life difficult for her. However, comebacks like the one in St. Moritz seem to suit the 30-year-old. Because in 2018 she climbed to the Olympus of skiing.

In the downhill at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, the athlete won gold – and crowned herself the first Italian Olympic champion in this discipline. After the great success, one injury followed the next from 2018. An ankle fracture before the 2018/19 season was followed by fractures of the tibial head and fibula as well as a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in various falls. Undeterred, she achieved the next big success of her career at the 2022 Olympics: silver in the downhill.

The downhill specialist is currently laying the foundations for the coming season in Verona, Italy, before strapping on her skis again at the end of June and hoping for injury-free months. Meanwhile, Sofia Goggia's very private happiness with a TV journalist 30 years her senior is also rumoured. (likr)