Olympic Gold medalist Sofia Goggia was competing in a Super-G event just weeks before the Winter Games in Beijing where she hopes to defend her title when she took a gnarly spill.
The 29-year-old Italian was flying down the slopes when she lost control on a turn. Goggia flew into the air and came crashing down headfirst before sliding down the mountain.
Video of the crash was frightening, but luckily Goggia was able to avoid major injury.
Per reports, she suffered a left knee strain, a partial tear in her cruciate ligament, and a small fibula fracture. As bad as it sounds, she is beginning her rehabilitation and hopes to be on the slopes in time for next month’s Olympics.
Sofia Goggia won 8 of her last 9 downhills and, up until this morning, was probably the biggest Olympic gold-medal favorite in Alpine skiing. Now she has to come back from this crash, and a litany of leg injuries, in three weeks for the Olympic downhill. https://t.co/Atn4Tl9dtA pic.twitter.com/3EfatEa96u
— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) January 23, 2022
“It’s a shame that this injury comes in a very important moment of the season,” Goggia said, via TMZ Sports, “but in the next few hours I’ll start the physio treatment so I can try to defend my title in the discipline I love the most.”
Goggia is scheduled to compete in the downhill event on February 15.
The 2022 Beijing Olympics officially kick off on Friday, February 4 with the Opening Ceremony before coming to an end on Sunday, February 20.