Italy, the host of the upcoming Olympics, faces another setback with a prominent female skier sidelined. Marta Bassino sustained a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau in her left leg during pre-season training, leading to the need for surgery. The accident occurred on a level section of a course in Val Senales, Italy, as she was gearing up for the season’s first World Cup race in Soelden, Austria. This injury not only forces Bassino to miss the start of the World Cup season but also puts her potential participation in the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February in doubt.
Bassino now joins Federica Brignone, the reigning overall World Cup champion, on the list of injured skiers. Brignone’s return to skiing remains uncertain following her multiple leg fractures and torn ACL from a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships earlier this year.
Despite the setback, Bassino’s skiing achievements include a gold medal in super-G at the 2023 world championships and seven World Cup victories. Her successes span across giant slalom and downhill events, with an additional gold in parallel skiing at the 2021 worlds in Cortina, the venue for the women’s skiing events during the upcoming Olympics.