We are proud of our new partnership with Lara Colturi, one of the biggest talents in the Alpine Skiing World. Lara is only 16 years old and therefore one of the youngest athlete in the World Cup. Despite her very young career, she has already shown her potential and celebrated impressive successes - and we are convinced - the best is still to come.
Let us introduce Lara. She is the daughter of Daniela Ceccarelli, Olympic Super-G champion in 2002. We have asked Lara some questions about the family team, her biggest successes and what it's like to be the youngest in the World Cup.
Profile Lara Colturi:
Date of birth: 15. Nov 2006
Place of birth: Torino
Hometown: Cesana Torinese, Italy
Nation: Albania
Disciplines: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G, Combined
Skis: Blizzard
Poles: Swix
Wax & Tools: TOKO
What's your favorite discipline?
I like everything of skiing, there’s not just one thing I like most. I enjoy ripping turns and going better, and possibly faster, every time. I train and compete mainly in technical disciplines, Slalom and Giant Slalom, but I also like speed disciplines, and have had the opportunity to ski at about 120 km per hour and jump 40 meters long.
What was your biggest success so far?
I’d got good results in Children category, then with my mum being proposed the role of Technical Director of the Albanian Ski team, I’ve joined this Federation as well in 2022. I could continue being supported (also on skis) by my parents, could access races with no particular limitations, and won the South American Cup at my first season in FIS category.
That is my best result and experience in my career so far, exploring amazing places there, meeting new friends for extraordinary travel.
How does your team look like?
My mum and dad are my coaches, we're much of a family team. Mum is dedicated to my skiing technique and physical preparation, with the support of fitness coach Antonio Squillante and the BioTekna Performance Center. Dad is in charge of race strategy, analysis on ski courses, and he’s my service man by Blizzard, the one working hard for my ski tuning with the great support of TOKO. He knows everything about skis - I trust him totally and learn a lot from him.
What do you do when you're not skiing?
Well, I think I am a normal girl of my age. Out of skiing time, I’m studying for school, I like travelling, photography, practicing outdoor sports as ice skating and tennis, and I like playing piano. Sometimes I also like to spend some lazy hours watching TV, like every 16 year old girl.
When was the first time on skis?
I had my first ski-toys when I was about one year old, I liked them much, and I was so little that sometimes I felt asleep on skis. My first memory on snow is from St. Moritz, I was about three years old, my mum was competing, and I was playing around and skiing there.
Was it clear to you, that you will be an alpine skier when you were a child?
In my family, skiing is the main sport. My grand-grandfather Lorenzo Colturi participated at the Olympics in 1932 in Lake Placid, my father is a ski coach and ski racing manager, my mother has been an athlete and won the Olympics in Super G in 2002. Also my younger brother Yuri is skiing. I grew up on skis, in winter on the slopes of Sestriere, near our home, and in summer at Les Deux Alps, where my parents use to work with the Ski Club they manage. The probability that skiing would play a big role in my life was high. I did compete also in ice skating until I was 13 year old, but I’m happy focusing now on ski racing, and keep training and enjoy ice skating for fun in my spare time.
How is it as one of the youngest skier in the world cup?
Age is not something I focus much on. I think it’s a good advantage to me having access to the major circuit at a young age, gaining experience, earlier, than later. But I am also conscious that everything is a process and I need to do everything step by step, and learn and get day by day and race by race.
Lara Colturi is not just a talented skier, but also an amazing girl. Her idols are the superstars of the last years Marcel Hirscher and Mikaela Shiffrin. Now Lara is competing in the same races against Mikaela Shiffrin, who has also spoken out about Lara in recent weeks in an interview with Sport1: “She's got pretty solid skiing, pretty solid style, lots of speed, and that kind of instinct: she knows how to find the bottom of the mountain." Words that speak for themselves…
We are proud to support this young, talented alpine skier and are looking forward to grow with her. We wish Lara all the best for the season and her career ! Go Lara!
