Federica Brignone has confirmed she will compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, completing a comeback that adds one of the most compelling stories to Italy’s home Games.
The Olympics, scheduled from February 6 to February 22, 2026, will take place across northern Italy, with alpine skiing returning to the historic slopes of Cortina. For Brignone, the event represents both a sporting goal and a deeply personal milestone.
In early 2025, Brignone suffered a serious leg injury that required surgery and a long rehabilitation process. For several months, her Olympic participation was uncertain. She followed a recovery program lasting more than 8 months, gradually returning to snow training and competitive intensity. By the end of the year, she was cleared to race again, setting her sights firmly on Milan–Cortina.
At 35 years old, Brignone is one of the most experienced athletes on the Italian team. Over her career, she has collected more than 20 World Cup victories and won the overall World Cup title in 2020, a first for an Italian woman. She has already appeared in three Olympic Games, making 2026 her fourth Olympic chapter.
Alongside her return to competition, Brignone has been chosen as one of Italy’s flag bearers for the opening ceremonies. The Milan–Cortina Olympics will feature a unique format with ceremonies split between two cities, and Italy has selected four athletes to carry the national flag. Brignone will represent the team in Cortina d’Ampezzo. She will be joined by Amos Mosaner, Olympic gold medalist in curling, while Arianna Fontana, Italy’s most decorated Winter Olympian with 11 Olympic medals, and cross-country skier Federico Pellegrino, a multiple Olympic and world medalist, will serve as flag bearers in Milan.
Italy is expected to field more than 130 athletes across 15 sports, and the choice of four flag bearers reflects both sporting excellence and generational balance. Each athlete represents a different discipline and a different chapter of Italy’s Winter Olympic history.
For Brignone, carrying the flag on home snow adds emotional weight to an already meaningful Games. Competing in Cortina, in front of Italian fans, combines personal redemption with national pride. As February 2026 approaches, her journey from injury to Olympic leader stands as a powerful symbol of resilience, experience, and ambition at the heart of Italy’s Winter Olympics.
