The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics delivered a gut-wrenching moment for Italian fans as hometown hero Sofia Goggia—fresh off her bronze in the individual downhill and a key role lighting the cauldron—suffered a brutal crash during the downhill leg of the Women’s Team Combined.
Goggia, one of Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiercest long-time rivals in speed events, lost control mid-turn when her inside ski slipped, sending her skidding off the Tofane course. The Italian superstar managed to keep the fall controlled enough to avoid slamming into the nets and skied off under her own power—no serious injury reported—but the mishap ended Italy 1’s medal hopes before her slalom partner could even start.
The crash came as a massive blow to the home nation’s top duo in this debut Olympic event, which pairs downhill speed with slalom precision for a combined team time. Goggia, a three-time Olympic downhill medalist (gold ’18, silver ’22, bronze ’26), had been eyeing another podium shot on familiar slopes where she’s claimed multiple World Cup victories.
Meanwhile, the incident opened the door wider for frontrunners USA 1—Breezy Johnson (downhill) and Mikaela Shiffrin (slalom)—who hold the lead after Johnson’s scorching run. Shiffrin, the all-time wins record holder and slalom queen, now has an even clearer path to add team gold to her legendary resume.
A scary reminder of alpine skiing’s razor-thin margins, especially on the demanding Tofane track that’s already seen its share of high-profile wrecks this Games.
Goggia’s fighting spirit remains unbreakable—after multiple career-threatening injuries, she’s always bounced back stronger. Italy’s speed queen will be back, but today, the Olympic dream took a harsh detour.
Slalom leg still to come—watch USA push for glory! 🇮🇹🇺🇸⛷️
