Italy, the host country of the Olympics, faces another setback with a top female skier sidelined. Marta Bassino sustained a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau in her left leg after a training accident. The incident occurred on a flat section of a course in Val Senales, Italy, as she was preparing for the upcoming World Cup race in Soelden, Austria. Bassino will undergo surgery, causing her to miss the start of the World Cup season and potentially the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
This injury adds her to the list of injured Italian skiers, including overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone, who is recovering from multiple leg fractures and an anterior cruciate ligament tear suffered during a crash at the Italian championships in April. Bassino, a decorated skier with a gold medal in super-G at the 2023 world championships and seven World Cup victories, faces a challenging road to recovery as she aims to return to competition.