copravolley

Sfortunatamente lo snowboard alpino da solo non salverà la nostro stagione: mi aspetterei risultati simili nella maggior parte delle altre discipline: una squadra numerosa e progressi visibili (squadra femminile). Nello sci di fondo c'è solo Pellegrino da anni, propio come Dominik Paris nello sci alpino maschile. Nello slittino non c'è progresso e nemmeno regressione (esempio di doppio donne), regressione anche dello skeleton, ecc. Non so quale sia lo scopo di organizzare giochi casalinghe quando c'è un tale crisi nella maggior parte delle discipline e una totale mancanza di ricambio generazionale.

Un'altra tragedia italiana quest'inverno a Beaver Creek. Questo è probabilmente il peggior inizio di stagione del 21° secolo. Intendo discipline sotto l'egida Fisi, non Fisg. Praticamente un Brignone+snowboard maschile + fratelli Tabanelli e nulla. A Cortina 2026 ci troveremo di fronte a un disastro più grande che a Torino. Ed ecco il link con le ragioni della situazione attuale: https://www.oasport.it/2024/12/fisi-i-ricambi-latitano-a-milano-cortina-2026-tante-carte-da-medaglia-saranno-le-stesse-del-2014-2018/

Unfortunately nothing will come of the Italian cross country in Cortina. There has been no progress since last season and it's even worse. Places outside the top 30 without the Russians (5-6 places down) are a disaster. All the more so considering the investment in equipment and the coaching staff in the last 2-3 years. It's hard for me to even comment on this rationally.

Maybe never? I only remember that around 2000 Romania was quite strong in women's volleyball and that's why I think that this sport might have been popular there then.

Italian women have never been good at this sport, which may be a bit surprising. Considering our nature, handball is simply made for us, more so than, for example, volleyball. Do you remember times in Romania when volleyball was more popular than handball?

Who is stronger in this sport currently: Romania or Poland?

I think I have some kind of autumn depression but I'm really getting down about these results at the beginning of the winter season. The summer season was great for us now we have this incident with the ice wall Everything looks black for my, like the weather outside the window.

Our entire biathlon in the 21st century is 2 individuals: Wierer and Vittozzi. When they leave, there will be nothing left. No system, no plan, no generational change. All of that is in France, for example. I don't see it here, despite having our home games. We used to be a powerhouse in women's cross-country skiing. Now there's nothing left of it. For a moment, we covered it up with successes in biathlon thanks to 2 individuals who were a lottery ticket for us. At the moment, looking at Wierer's age, our entire women's biathlon depends on the health of one Vittozzi, just like technical alpine skiing in Brignone. Personally, I was hoping for something more, but as you can see, it's impossible to plan anything here.

The start of the biathlon season is disastrous for us and even the absence of Vittozzi doesn't change my opinion. Cortina 2026 looks bleak and gloomy for us, apart from a few individuals

Vittozzi?

In Sochi 2014 there was slalom and giant slalom. Recently there was talk of a chance to add mixed team giant slalom to the program but so far there's been no news.

Men's snowboard in the alpine version: there is a wide team and many competitors can stand on the podium. The problem it`s a only 1 competition at the games.

The only Italian - Comarella took 39th place today... Do our girls even train in the summer? In 2023 Francesca Franchi took 5th place at the World Championships in 10 km freestyle and since then she has practically disappeared... Our current coach - Cramer had world-class results with the Russians in the past, he has been working with us for 3 years. Our team acquired a great serviceman from Sweden in the summer and still nothing. I don`t expect victories right away but at least some border of decency... The only noteworthy result of our girls is yesterday's sprint and 14th place Monsorno and I think 17th - Ganz. Distance races are still down.

We are simply falling behind not only Germany and Austria, but also Latvia and the USA. In the men's doubles, we have not been able to find a strong team for many years, not to mention the women. It seems to me that we are falling behind in terms of materials. It`s a pity, because when we ride on the track at home, we should be fighting for these 2 medals.

So far, a terrible weekend for us. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that even our own track won't help us win a medal at the Games.

Bassino has been completely lost in the giant slalom since last season So we're left with one Brignone of 34 years in the technical disciplines, has a real chance of the podium. The rest are top 20 at best. And Colturi is 10th today...

Maybe the traces of this substance were different?

Halep?

Why? She lost nr.1 for this ban.

So, will they appeal to CAS like in Sinner case?

If this were Milan from 20 years ago, it would be a success but currently it`s just a European average team and on top of that it is not in top form. Milan's defense this season resembles Swiss cheese.

Bologna is unfortunately is a team for the Conference League, not the Champions League Juventus are plagued by injuries and are struggling. On top of that they have a terrible schedule in the CL. In their case qualifying for the play-offs would be a success in this season but I'm not sure how many points they will need to do that. Actually they chave 8 points.

Greece and Portugal also have winter sports centres - but of course these are not homologated routes for World Cup competitions I have never been to Albania personally, so I don't know the country at all. I have been in southern Croatia, though, and there are mountains there but you definitely can't ski there (I was there in the summer, but it's also impossible in the winter). World cup taking place there only in Zagreb. In general the case of Colturi and Kostelic is completely different: Colturi has no ties to Albania and Janica Kostelic was Croatian and didn't left their country even though at the beginning of her carrier (and also her brother Ivica) her father had to pay for everything and the federation's support was zero. This only changed later. I imagine that the Kostelic family had offers from other countries (Austria, Switzerland, Italy?) to compete for them, which were much richer (at the beginning of the 21st century Croatia was a very poor country and devastated by war). All the more respect for them because they were true Croatian patriots until the end. I can imagine the Colturi family in a similar situation... Her mother would probably negotiate with half of Alpine Europe for Lara to compete for them Which of course doesn't change the fact that the Italian federation completely gave a shit in this situation. They let such talent go in a situation where they hasn`t a single female athlete on the podium of the World Cup in slalom for a dozen or so years. In the giant slalom it's not much better either, only there the older athletes cloud the picture: Brignone and Bassino. However, behind these two there is absolutely nothing...

Atalanta is probably playing the most beautiful football in Europe right now: spectacular and effective. It's nice to watch and they don't have to spend a lot of money for it. Inter is playing very economically. It's not impressive but it's consistently collecting points. It's also the only team in the Champions League that hasn't conceded a goal this season. Milan played very poorly yesterday but they won. They have 9 points and are close to qualifying for the play-offs.

I read now that Valentina Rodini will be in the new team of Tizzano + Galtarossa and Martini. I was probably in such an information bubble on Instagram that I thought that only Abbagnale was running a campaign and had a team of people around him. That's why I was surprised by his defeat + the fact that, for example, Rodini supports his rival. But as I wrote, for me the change in the general coach position is a plus. We need a new opening and a new impulse: Cattaneo had his best results in Tokyo and then he only explained that his rowers were running away abroad to the USA to study and that's why he had worse results. Ok, except that it's the same in Romania and Greece but they results are comparable or better. It's obvious that no one here will make the UK or the Netherlands, because we don't have such resources and money but I think we can repeat the Romanian results (2 gold - 3 silver in Paris) and that will be a much better result than the 2 silver in this year.