Sofia Goggia will not be in the start gate when the women's World Cup season opens in Sölden on October 24. Speaking at the Italian winter sports federation's (FISI) media day in Milan, the 33-year-old described a summer she says hurt more than any of her many injuries. Goggia was infected with chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus, and then with parvovirus B19 as well.
"I've had a lot of injuries in my career, but the pain I had this summer was unbelievable and like nothing else," the 2018 Olympic downhill champion said, as quoted by Austrian broadcaster ORF. Italian daily Tuttosport ran a different line as its headline: "Dolori invalidanti, facevo fatica anche a parlare." The pain was disabling, she said, and at times she struggled even to speak.
Camp in Ushuaia cut short
According to the reports, Goggia felt more or less normal through June. Things turned serious in July. During Italy's on-snow camp in Ushuaia, Argentina, her condition deteriorated so badly that she had to leave. She described crushing fatigue, sleepiness during the day and knees that stayed swollen. On top of that came neurological symptoms, which are especially alarming for a speed specialist: tremors in her legs, balance problems and a loss of coordination between head and body. At times she could barely walk down stairs, and the joint pain kept her awake at night.
The acute phase is over now, but she is not fully recovered. Goggia said her progress comes "day by day, sometimes hour by hour," with setbacks along the way. She is still dealing with neurological symptoms, and there is no fixed date for her World Cup return.
November return at the earliest
The plan is a cautious one. Next week Goggia wants to get back on snow to see how her body responds, then resume conditioning work. ORF reports that November is the earliest she could be close to her normal level. According to Tuttosport, she is targeting the North American races. The Sölden giant slalom was always going to come too early.
Her support team has changed too. Tuttosport reports that Gianluca Rulfi is now her technical reference and that her long-time ski technician Barnaba Greppi has retired. Even so, Goggia sounded confident. She pointed out that she has come back from long layoffs before and said she is not worried about her season.
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The enforced break also seems to have changed how she sees herself. "Questo stop per la prima volta mi ha fatto rivalutare me stessa," she said. The pause, she explained, had made her reassess herself for the first time. She now appreciates what she has achieved more and is less hard on herself. With 29 World Cup wins and an Olympic gold medal, there is plenty to appreciate.
For Italy's speed team the news is still a blow. Goggia has been the face of Italian downhill and super-G for years, and she is a top contender whenever she is healthy. How long chikungunya will linger is unclear. Following her case, Italian health outlets pointed out that joint problems can persist for months in a share of patients.
Her main target is already set: the World Championships in Crans-Montana from February 1 to 14. That leaves her just under four months to go from a summer spent sick to racing again.
