(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 15 - Italy's Sofia Goggia pulled off an epic sporting feat on Tuesday by winning the silver medal in the downhill at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics just 23 days after suffering a knee injury.
    Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, was joined on the podium by fellow Italian Nadia Delago, who took the bronze medal.
    Just being at the starting gate was a huge achievement for Goggia after she damaged anterior cruciate ligaments in her knee and fractured her fibula racing at Cortina d'Ampezzo last month.
    But rather than simply making up the numbers, the 29-year-old came just 16 hundredths behind Switzerland's Corinne Suter, who took the gold medal.
    "I gave everything I could," said Goggia, who had been been in stunning form before the injury, winning four World Cup downhills this season and two Super Gs.
    "I'm really happy with the way I skied.
    "It's a fairy tale that I managed to make real because, after the injury at Cortina, it seemed like a dream that had gone up in smoke.
    "I thank the doctors who told me that, if I really believed, I could do it and took the responsibility of letting me race.
    "And I thank all those who have supported me over the last few days, the medal is yours too.
    "I'm a little sorry about (not winning) the gold medal, but I could not do more than this".
    It was also something of a fairy tale for 24-year-old Delago, who won an Olympic medal having never previously made the podium of a World Cup race.
    Goggia and Delago took Italy's medal tally up to 13, including two golds. (ANSA).