MILAN – Italy’s gold medalist skier Sofia Goggia suffered multiple injuries after a dramatic fall while racing in Cortina on Sunday, however she is intent on rehabilitating in time for the Beijing Olympics in February, announced the Italian Winter Sports Federation, Fisi.

 Goggia, 29, was the first woman to win a gold medal for Italy in the downhill event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

 On Sunday she was competing in the World Cup super-G in Cortina d’Ampezzo, when at high speed her legs were pulled into the splits before she fell down the mountain. A medical evaluation in Milan revealed that the Bergamo champion has sprained her left knee, damaged a tendon, suffered a minor fracture to her fibula and partially torn her cruciate ligament, which had already been operated on in 2013.

 The skier commented, "I'm disappointed, it’s time off that I didn’t need at such an important point in the season, but already in the next few hours I will start physiotherapy to try to defend the Olympic title in the discipline I love most.”

  World Cup ski racer Elena Cutroni was the winner of Sunday’s race. She said, "it is a bittersweet day because seeing a bad fall like that of Sofia Goggia is not nice, especially if it is a team campaign.”

 According to Fisi, the main goal is for Goggia to be rehabilitated in time to compete in the women's downhill ski race in Beijing, scheduled for Feb. 15.

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