(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 15 - Italy's Sofia Goggia pulled off an
epic sporting feat on Tuesday by winning the silver medal in the
downhill at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics just 23 days after
suffering a knee injury.
Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, was joined on the
podium by fellow Italian Nadia Delago, who took the bronze
medal.
Just being at the starting gate was a huge achievement for
Goggia after she damaged anterior cruciate ligaments in her knee
and fractured her fibula racing at Cortina d'Ampezzo last month.
But rather than simply making up the numbers, the 29-year-old
came just 16 hundredths behind Switzerland's Corinne Suter, who
took the gold medal.
"I gave everything I could," said Goggia, who had been been in
stunning form before the injury, winning four World Cup
downhills this season and two Super Gs.
"I'm really happy with the way I skied.
"It's a fairy tale that I managed to make real because, after
the injury at Cortina, it seemed like a dream that had gone up
in smoke.
"I thank the doctors who told me that, if I really believed, I
could do it and took the responsibility of letting me race.
"And I thank all those who have supported me over the last few
days, the medal is yours too.
"I'm a little sorry about (not winning) the gold medal, but I
could not do more than this".
It was also something of a fairy tale for 24-year-old Delago,
who won an Olympic medal having never previously made the podium
of a World Cup race.
Goggia and Delago took Italy's medal tally up to 13, including
two golds. (ANSA).