Sofia Goggia to miss Soelden season opener as she recovers from viral illness

Sofia Goggia said at the Italian Winter Sports Federation’s media day in Milan on 9 October that she will miss the Alpine skiing season opener in Soelden, Austria, on 24 October. The Italian skier is recovering from a viral illness that interrupted her preparation in Argentina, and she has given no confirmed date for returning to ski training.

Goggia said her condition was improving but that she remained tired. She described the overall trend in her recovery as positive, while making clear that feeling well again comes before setting a timetable for competition. Her absence from Soelden is confirmed; how much longer her recovery will take is not.

Why Sofia Goggia is missing Soelden

Goggia fell ill during a training camp in Ushuaia, Argentina. She said she had skied well during the camp’s first week, but the illness stopped her from completing an important part of her preparation. At the Milan event, she described tremors, disabling pain, slower walking and speech, and a loss of coordination on skis.

Speaking to ANSA, Goggia said she had been frightened by the symptoms, particularly the pain. She also recalled struggling to find words and losing her train of thought while speaking. Those were her descriptions of what she experienced during the illness; the available reports do not establish a separate medical assessment of each symptom.

What was known before the withdrawal

The Italian Winter Sports Federation, known as FISI, had reported in September that Goggia returned to Italy from Argentina after becoming unwell during preparations. According to a federation statement reported by ANSA on 25 September, medical tests found two different viral infections. FISI said the combination had left her physically debilitated.

The federation also said Goggia had begun a recovery programme drawn up with its medical commission. In her own comments reported at the time, Goggia said she was improving but still considerably weakened, and that recovery would require patience. That update explained why her training camp had ended early; it did not give a date for her return to skiing.

The development on 9 October is her decision to miss the Soelden race. Both ANSA and Corriere della Sera reported the withdrawal from the Milan media day, where Goggia set out how the missed training and continuing fatigue shaped her plans. The September health update provides context for the interruption, while her latest remarks establish that she will miss the opener.

Goggia’s training plans and return timetable

Goggia said she had not set sporting targets for the season. She estimated that full recovery could take anywhere from 10 days to a month and a half, a broad range rather than a return date. She said she would think about specific ski training after regaining her usual clarity.

The skier said she needed to focus on training in America to make up for some of the preparation she had lost. Corriere reported that she hoped to leave for that training in about a month. A hoped-for departure is not a confirmed date for resuming work on snow, and the reports do not identify her next race.

Goggia said the first week of skiing in Ushuaia had gone well, but she could not yet judge how the interruption would affect her season. For now, the firm competitive consequence is her absence from Soelden on 24 October. Her recovery, subsequent training and eventual return to racing remain open.