copravolley

In general almost all Fisi sports have been doing terribly this season. One debacle after another and the Colturi case completes the scale of embarrassment. Apart from single star like Goggia, Brignone or Pellegrino, only the alpine snowboard looks good.

Unfortunately the Italian men's team is poorly prepared for the season. Everyone is in terrible shooting form. Somewhere a mistake was made in the preparations. We are recording a big regression compared to the previous season. It`s becoming more and more likely that we will not stand on the podium even once this season (I can't remember the last time something like that happened). In the Nations Cup we are in 6th place and we may lose 6 starting places in the World Cup from next season. I`m increasingly worried about what will happen in the Olympic season. Without Vittozzi returning to top form, we completly will not count. In general our entire winter season looks very bad: biathlon as above, cross-country skiing - still only Pellegrino, luge - poor form, alpine skiing without Goggia and Brignone doesn`t exist.

I've been to Falcade a few times for alpine skiing: I think you go down from Passo San Pellegrino but maybe I'm mistaken, because it was quite a while ago. Btw., do you have any Brazilian ancestry? Where does your fascination with that country come from?

It's strange that he isn't looking for some other squad for himself, e.g. Switzerland, Austria or even Italy?

Give us a link to the video with Bulgarian commentary of this competition.

https://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invernali/08-01-2025/biathlon-vittozzi-chiude-la-stagione-inutile-forzare-punto-ai-giochi.shtml The case of Vittozzi's injury is very strange and I`m increasingly afraid of her form during the games. The press communication of the Italian federation was terrible all the time - the seriousness of Lisa's injury was constantly hidden and the problem was trivialized. Well, for us the biathlon season is basically over, in terms of hopes for the podium of the World Championships, World Cup etc. All that is left for us is to fight for 5th place in the Nations Cup and maintain 6 places in the World Cup for the next season.

The penalty for changing the license is 1-2 years depending on the federation and whether Russia agrees or not. In the case of Russia and Kazakhstan, these consents are very often given, so such a change is easier.

Another one- speed skating: https://speedskatingresults.com/index.php?p=17&s=54412

This is more of a skier from the lower ranks but there is no sign of someone stronger changing flag. Personally I was counting on Italy bringing someone in because of Kramer's contacts - he worked in Russia for many years. Especially in the women's team, we would be useful for 1-2 strong skiers.

Heraskevyvh is very good in this season. He did worse last season. Our team is unfortunately doing much worse now. In luge, unfortunately, it`s difficult to break the dominance of Germany, Austria and Latvia. The USA has also made a lot of progress. I have also read that Russia may return under a neutral banner, so I don`t think we will win a medal in Cortina 2026. The only hope is that we will use our knowledge of the new track in Cortina and then maybe we will win a one medal, maybe in the women's doubles. Unfortunately, we don`t have a star like Armin Zoeggeler as before.

The Colturi case affair is becoming increasingly loud in the Italian media. Yesterday commentators on the Italian public channel Rai began to openly say that they hope Lara will return to Italy and also criticize the terrible form of the Italian team in the women's slalom. I`m very happy about this, because the louder this affair is, the greater the pressure will be on the Italian federation to come to an agreement with the Colturi team (pressure from CONI, the ministry and maybe even higher).

https://www.oasport.it/2025/01/anche-litalia-ha-la-sua-braathen-gaia-brunello-sceglie-il-brasile-nel-biathlon/

Do you have or have you ever had an modern ice track?

Still no progress in the Italian team: 2x 4th place in men's singles and women's doubles+ a fall in the team relay. Men's doubles and women's singles without any progress for years. What's worse, our women's doubles also significantly lowered their level: without a single podium in the World Cup in this season. As of today, I'm betting on 0 medals in Cortina for us, excluding some miracles on the home track.

There is some progress at Barp and Carollo but almost everything is still based on Pellegrino. In the men's we lost a great talent - de Fabiani and Davide Graz - they are at an age where we have a generation gap in these age groups: 1994-2000. In the women's I`m happy with Monsorno's progress in sprints but the last podium WC in the women's category was in... 2011. We wasted 15 years in the women's category and now we are only waking up with 1 year to go until the games in Cortina, when we should have a ready team like Germany (I will skip Scandinavia because of its completely different potential).

Italy doesn't exist in women's technical competitions without from Brignone and Goggia - both over 30 age. Unfortunately Bassino has been out of good shipe since from last season in the giant slalom and she is unrecognizable in some competitions. In the case of Goggia I also don't really believe in regular podiums in the giant slalom - she can't have falls and win in the downhill and super-G. The giant slalom is just a bonus. The Italian women's slalom has basically been non-existent for many years. One Peterlini qualifies for the 30 and doesn't finish half of the competitions. I can't understand how it was possible to lose Colturi in a situation where other Italians have fallen so badly. Unfortunately it's not the Italian federation that should be setting the conditions here but it's Colturi and her mother - a talent on par with Shiffrin at her age.

In Italy in recent years there is simply been a problem with training new talents and looking at Colturi, the problem probably isn`t a lack of talented youngsters but poor training. Colturi and Collomb were at similar level a few years ago but where are they now? And this is the same year of born - 2006. Since Goggia and Brignone young time we haven`t trained a single champion. It`s the same with men. Vinatzer is wasting away and regressing in development, the same with della Vite in the giant slalom. The problem is it the outdated system which proved effective at the beginning of the 21st century but not now This also applies to other winter disciplines with a few exceptions.

The Italian team's skis on the downhill today were at the level of third world countries. Shame.

We have competitions at home, before the season we got a good service from Sweden, and today Pellegrino on the last straight had skis like a junior compared to Norway, Sweden or Switzerland. I don't understand it. After all, having a competiton at home you should have a natural advantage over your rivals. This season is terrible for us in cross-country skiing and biathlon: so far in these two disciplines we have won 1 podium - 3rd place for Pellegrino in the sprint in Lillehammer. The closer we get to the games in Cortina, the worse it gets for us unfortunately

Today Elia Barp took 13th place and I would expect stability at this level until the end of the season. Then I will consider that there is progress in his case. The problem is that only he and Pellegrino are still at decent level in the distances. Unfortunately de Fabiani's health problems and Davide Graz's complete collapse unable for us from fielding a strong relay team in the top 6. I don't know how the our staff will do with this but there isn`t much time left until the World Championships.

What are your impressions of the Italian team in the first part of the season? What were your expectations?

The Italian team is still doing terribly. While there has been stabilization at an average level for women, there has been a dramatic downward slide for men. Today the only skier in the top 30 was Elia Barp - 23rd place. The rest without comment. Pellegrino is already going down due to age. De Fabiani is missing from 2 seasons, Graz isn`t making any progress. The only hope is Barp but he is also very unstable. Compared to the French team, we are 10 years behind I no longer believe that we will ever be reborn in this sport. If starting at home and having a theoretical advantage in materials, we are able to have 1 skier to 30 in the freestyle technique, which has always been better for us, it's hard to even comment on that.

The Italian team bought a wax- bus from Sweden before the season and acquired head of their serviceman, so maybe that's the reason? The investment hasn`t been successful so far, because there is still a void beyond Pellegrino and these young skiers aren`t mentally ready for a tough fight. Once there was a skier from Poland - Justyna Kowalczyk, who fought with the whole coalition of Norwegians at that time: Bjoergen, Johaug etc. Thanks to her strong psyche she was able to win difficult finishes with Bjoergen. Diggins is doing the same now - she gives 120%. This is the only way you can win with Norwegians. Apart from Pellegrino I don't see anyone in our team who has the ambition and the will to fight.

Diggins and Pellegrino have never had great physical conditions but their mental have always been on point. The entire American team is brave and ambitious. On the other hand the Italian team is physically weak and has no ambition. There is no visible will to fight and progress is born in the head- that`s says once Filippo Ganna.

For now just like a hobby for he.