Lindsey Vonn Hypes Italy's Federica Brignone for Gold Medal Win in Olympic Alpine Skiing Super-G

Team USA's Lindsey Vonn was thrilled to see Italian skier Federica Brignone win her first gold medal on home soil.

Brignone beat France's Romane Miradoli in the women's super-G in the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday, prompting Vonn to congratulate the 35-year-old on "an incredible comeback":

Brignone's status for the Milano Cortina Games had been in doubt for some time. During the Italian championships in April 2025, she suffered multiple leg fractures and tore her ACL after crashing down the slope.

Not only did Brignone recuperate in time for the Olympics, but she has enjoyed her best showing so far. Her highest finish before this was a silver medal in the giant slalom in 2022.

"I told myself that it was a 'make it or break it,' but I never thought I would win," she said after the race. "Something special, I would never have imagined it in life."

Vonn certainly knows about comebacks. She has suffered multiple serious injuries across her illustrious career and ended her retirement in December 2024 with an eye toward representing the United States one more time. She became the oldest World Cup winner (41) when she edged out Austria's Magdalena Egger at a race in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Vonn's crash in the women's downhill is one of the biggest stories from this year's Winter Games, and it might be the last time she competes. Simply punching a ticket to the Olympics was an achievement in its own right, though.