MILAN -- Freshly crowned overall World Cup skiing champion Federica Brignone broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships Thursday.
Brignone was the race leader at the Lusia ski area in Val di Fassa, but in her second run, she crashed through a gate and lost control, prompting her to tumble and crash through the next gate. She was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Trento.
She was diagnosed with multiple fractures in her tibial plateau and fibula bone, the Italian Winter Sports Federation said. Federation medical chief Andrea Panzeri said Brignone was set to undergo surgery in Milan and would be out for months, adding that it "won't be a quick recovery."
"It's a serious fracture. But she's strong and fortunately healthy as she had never had any big injuries before today," Panzeri said. "It's tough to make estimates now. I'll tell you more afterward. Don't ask me about the Olympics or recovery times yet. We need to see how we can reduce the fracture, and then we'll be able to be more precise later [today] or tomorrow morning."
Brignone, who also won the giant slalom at the world championships in February, was finishing up the best season of her career. The 34-year-old won 10 World Cup races across three disciplines -- five giant slaloms, three super-Gs and two downhills -- and became the oldest woman to win a World Cup race.
She is expected to be one of the home stars of next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics.
"She's certainly not happy. She had an exceptional season and won everything she should have won. She certainly could have done without this," Panzeri said. "But the great champions always know how to bounce back."