Italian Skier Wins First World Cup Race in Emotional Tribute

A young Italian skier just earned the biggest win of his life, and his first thought was honoring the friend he lost.

Giovanni Franzoni captured his first World Cup victory Friday in Wengen, Switzerland, skiing down the legendary Lauberhorn course in 1 minute and 45 seconds. The 24-year-old dedicated the win to Matteo Franzoso, his former teammate who died in a training crash last September.

"It's always on my mind and I try to remember him always," Franzoni said after the race. "I said at the beginning of the season I would ski with him all my life."

The timing couldn't be better for the young Italian. With the Winter Olympics starting February 6 in Milan-Cortina, Franzoni is finding his stride at exactly the right moment.

His journey to the podium wasn't easy. Three years ago, Franzoni crashed on this same course and suffered a serious hamstring injury that sidelined him for a year. He came into this season with just three top-10 finishes in his entire World Cup career.

"It's been a long journey because during the last three years I worked a lot," Franzoni said. "Mentally I grew up really, really a lot."

The breakthrough started clicking into place last month when he earned his first podium finish with a third-place finish in Val Gardena. But Friday's victory marked a complete transformation.

Franzoni rocketed down the Hanneggschuss section at 87 miles per hour, the fastest part of the course. He beat Austria's Stefan Babinsky by just over a third of a second, with Swiss racer Franjo von Allmen finishing third.

Even the sport's biggest star recognized the performance. Marco Odermatt, who dominates the overall World Cup standings, finished fourth but immediately praised Franzoni's run: "I saw your run and I said that's No.1. So clean, so easy."

Why This Inspires

Franzoni's victory shows how grief can fuel purpose rather than destroy it. After losing his teammate and friend, he could have been paralyzed by fear or sadness. Instead, he chose to honor Franzoso by pushing himself further than ever before.

His mental growth proved just as important as his physical training. "When you gain confidence, you ski more relaxed, more assured, and things just fall into place," he explained.

The win also gave Austria's Babinsky his first podium finish after years of near misses. "It was a tough fight the last years, I got some fourth places but never a podium," he said. "I always trusted in myself and I think that's probably the key."

Both skiers proved that persistence and belief eventually break through.