BEIJING (AP) The most difficult moment for Alpine racer Sofia Goggia aside, of course, from the crash itself that partially tore a ligament in her left knee and put what Italys team called a minor fracture in that leg came when she put on her skis for the first time after arriving in China for the Olympics.

That was 16 days after getting injured. And it was a week before she would be defending her 2018 gold medal in the downhill. Well, at that point, Goggia merely was hoping she would feel well enough to be able to give it a try Tuesday.

I knew I needed to make enormous progress. I was almost afraid just to free ski. Afraid to trust my leg. Afraid to trust myself again. My knee still didnt feel well, Goggia said, explaining that everything got much worse three gates into her initial practice session, when she fell and slid into the safety netting.