Federica Brignone leaves the Carabinieri and returns to Courmayeur ski club where she grew up

The exit from the Carabinieri

Federica Brignone has left the Carabinieri Sports Centre, where she had reached the rank of maresciallo, and her service in the force ended on 26 October. The alpine skier had been promoted to that rank last December for her sporting merits. She announced the decision in an Instagram post that thanked the sports centre for the years of support and the many successes it brought. The two-time Olympic champion in super-G and giant slalom will now race again for the club she first joined as a young athlete.

“Thank you to the Carabinieri Sports Centre that accompanied me for many years, full of successes.”

Return to Courmayeur

Brignone will be registered with the Sci Club Courmayeur Monte Bianco, a club founded in 1912 that counts about 300 registered athletes, according to La Repubblica. Its current president is Andrea Arnaldi and its technical director is Rudi Picchiottino. Brignone first enrolled with the club in 1996 and won its social race the following year. AGI reports that her mother, Ninna Quario, is also registered with the club. A ski run on Col Chécrouit, piste 14, has carried Brignone's name since March 2025.

“At this point in my career I have decided to step away, and I will return to skiing in the colours of the ski club I grew up with.”

Recovery and the knee injury

Brignone has said her comeback depends on overcoming physical problems linked to a knee injury, which she discussed in the documentary L'ultima olimpiade, presented at the Rome Film Festival. La Stampa reports that she is going through heavy physiotherapy sessions and exercise at the J Medical clinic, driving between La Salle and Turin for treatment. She plans to test her condition on snow by mid-November 2026 and will then decide whether to race at Copper Mountain in the United States. In her own words, she is taking one step at a time and is not setting herself dates.

Competition timetable

Brignone missed the first World Cup event of the season, held in Soelden on 24 October, and has not yet raced on snow. La Repubblica reports that no date has been set for her return. The hope is that she can compete at the World Championships in Crans Montana next February, which means February 2027. The dated steps reported so far are set out below.

Open questions

The reports give no detailed reason for the choice beyond Brignone's own account, and La Repubblica notes that the motives are not easy to pin down. La Stampa describes the move as a change of plan rather than a break with skiing. The competition plans remain open, since the Copper Mountain decision depends on how her on-snow tests go. Her return to the World Cup circuit is therefore not yet confirmed by any date in the reports.