Italy’s Marta Bassino questionable for Milan-Cortina Olympics after pre-season ski crash

Olympics host Italy has another top female skier sidelined.

Marta Bassino was diagnosed with a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau in her left leg following a crash in pre-season training on Wednesday and was due to be operated on.

The Italian federation said Bassino fell on a flat section of a course in Val Senales in northern Italy. She was preparing for the opening World Cup race of the season, a giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, on Saturday.

But now Bassino will miss not only the start of the World Cup season but perhaps also the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.

Bassino joins overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone on the injured list. Brignone still doesn't know when she'll be able to ski again after breaking multiple bones in her left leg, and tearing the anterior cruciate ligament, during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in April.

Bassino won gold in super-G at the 2023 world championships and has seven World Cup victories — six in giant slalom and one in downhill. She also won a parallel gold at the 2021 worlds in Cortina, which will host women's skiing during the Olympics.