Italian Skiers Sweep Podium at Val di Fassa World Cup

Elena Curtoni proved that believing in yourself can carry you through the toughest valleys to the highest peaks.

The 35-year-old Italian skier raced to victory at the Val di Fassa World Cup super-G on Sunday, finishing the challenging course in 1:29.07. She beat Norway's Kajsa Vickhoff Lie by just a quarter of a second, while her teammate Asja Zenere surprised everyone by claiming third place from the 33rd starting position.

The win marks a special moment for Curtoni, who hadn't stood on a World Cup podium in years. "I knew I was not done," she told reporters afterward. "I want to thank myself for not giving up."

Her victory capped an extraordinary weekend for Italian women's skiing. Teammate Laura Pirovano won both downhill races on Friday and Saturday, claiming her first-ever World Cup victories at age 30 by margins of just 0.01 seconds each time.

The Italian success story inspired Curtoni to push harder. "Seeing Laura being at the top was charging me," she said. "We work together. As a teammate I wanted to be as fast as she was."

Zenere couldn't contain her excitement about landing on the podium. "It's crazy," the skier said. "I felt so good on the slope all of these days. I hope to have other results like this."

The race held special meaning for second-place finisher Lie as well. She suffered a devastating crash on this same course in 2021, breaking her leg in two places. "I had my worst crash ever so it feels really good to be able to come back like this," she said.

Meanwhile, American star Mikaela Shiffrin finished 23rd but extended her lead in the overall Crystal Globe standings. Her closest challenger failed to complete the race, putting the three-time Olympic champion on track for her sixth overall title.

Why This Inspires

These athletes show us that setbacks don't define our stories. Curtoni fought through years of tough results to reclaim her place among the world's best. Lie returned to the exact slope where she faced her worst fear and conquered it with a silver medal. Pirovano waited three decades for her first win, then claimed three podium finishes in one weekend.

Their persistence reminds us that our greatest victories often come after our hardest struggles.