Brignone the wounded 'Tiger' will try to roar again in Cortina

MILAN, Jan 22 : Federica Brignone is known in Italy as the 'Tiger' for the ferocious determination that has helped her become the country's most successful ever female skier. She carries an image of the predator on her helmet and gloves.

Brignone, 35, is drawing on her tigerish spirit as she tries to return to the slopes ahead of next month's Milano Cortina Olympics after an accident in April left her with multiple leg fractures and a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament.

An impressive sixth at the World Cup giant slalom in Kronplatz on Tuesday, on her return from injury, bodes well for the Winter Games.

"At first I was a bit stiff but I remembered to breathe after a few gates. With the adrenaline I didn't feel too much pain. I am so happy," Brignone told Italian reporters after the first run.

"We'll assess things further, but for now the plan is to go to Cortina to train for the speed events and see where I stand there," she said after the second run.

Until her crash at the Italian Championships Brignone had been among the favourites for the Milano Cortina Games.

She finally got back on skis in late November after being sidelined for 292 days and having two operations.

Brignone has won two overall World Cup titles, claimed 37 World Cup victories, mostly in Giant Slalom and Super-G, and took a silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. 

Before her, only Gustav Thoeni had achieved more among Italians, winning four overall World Cups in the 1970s.

FAMILY AFFAIR

Born in Milan, Brignone moved with her family at the age of six to La Salle, a village of about 2,000 residents in the mountainous Aosta Valley region.

She soon showed an attraction to skiing. Brignone 'stole' her first pair of skis from a shop when she was not yet two years