Wiser Sofia Goggia ready for next step after last big roll of the dice
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Updated 25/10/2019 at 13:48 GMT
Sofia Goggia talks to Pete Sharland about her return from a broken ankle and the gamble she took as well the changes to her risk-taking style.
Italy's Sofia Goggia takes part in the training run for the women's downhill race of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals at Soldeu-El Tarter in Andorra, on March 12, 2019.
Image credit: Getty Images
Last season was tough for Sofia Goggia.
For the vast majority of 2018 she was untouchable. She took gold in the downhill at Pyeongchang and then wrapped up the season by edging the legendary figure of Lindsey Vonn in the 2017-18 World Cup.
Coming into the 2018-19 season Goggia was the new queen of Downhill, Vonn was close to retirement and now Goggia was the woman to beat.
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Goggia claims Crystal Globe with Downhill run in Åre
She had eyes on Super-G as well and wanted to continue her progress in Giant Slalom, and it would all culminate with the world championships in Are in February.
But just like that it was taken away from her, gone before it even begun. On October 20 2018 Goggia broke her ankle during a training run, ruling her out for the start of the season.
“I was about to race in a week [when the injury happened],” Goggia explains to Eurosport.
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Sofia Goggia
Image credit: Getty Images
They told me that it’d be two and half to three months out.
That time frame meant it would be a push for the world championships, which started on February 5, realistically Goggia would want to try and get some competitive racing in before they started.
“I had to be back on skis when the ankle wasn’t fully healed,” Goggia admits.
“I was really tired physically because I had to recover fast and to maintain such a good condition took so much of my energy that I was empty at the end of this season.”
In Goggia’s own words the gamble “paid off” as she took a “wonderful” silver at the world championships, second behind Mikaela Shiffrin in the Super-G.
She also won a race and took two second-placed finishes in a strong end to the season, by her own admission "nobody is giving you back a half-season at 26 years old."
It was a risk, but Goggia isn’t adverse to taking risks, she’s one of the most aggressive skiers on the circuit which has brought her some thrilling wins, and some pretty spectacular crashes.
Goggia knows she has to rein herself in time and thinks she has now found a good balance.
“In the last couple of years I made a big step because of my experience and I’m now risking less than when I was younger.
When I was younger my bones were ready to explode and my skin got really aggressive as I had the Goggia attacking style
“But now it’s more of a mix with the experience that I’ve got through the years and the seasons and the races so now I think I’m more well-rounded.”
Goggia is feeling confident ahead of the new season and has put the work in to make sure she is competitive in Giant Slalom and the speed disciplines.
It’s a strange season, with no Olympics or world championships but Goggia knows each race is as important as ever.
“This is a particular season, you don’t have world champs or Olympics and nothing is so decisive but everything is really important.
“So I’m going to live day-by-day and race by race and nothing more, I’m just trying to give my best and be the best Sofia I can.”
There was further good news for the energetic Goggia when the 2026 Winter Olympic bid from Milan-Cortina, of which she was an ambassador, was victorious.
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Italian Olympic champions Michela Moioli (L) and Sofia Goggia gestures on stage during the Milan/Cortina d'Ampezzo candidature committee's final presentation before the 134th session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) held to decide which of Sto
Image credit: Getty Images
Goggia is confident in her company’s ability to put on a show.
“I was in Lausanne and it was really a huge experience in my life and I’m pretty excited that we got this Olympic games
“I hope that this will be a big opportunity for Italy to show to the world that when we want something we can arrange everything to make it perfect.”
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