Laura Pirovano beamed from ear to ear © Pentaphoto

Pure emotion: The entire ski world is celebrating this victory.

Laura Pirovano's long-awaited first World Cup victory in the downhill at the San Pellegrino Pass on Friday sparked boundless jubilation not only in the Italian camp. The entire ski world celebrated with the skier from Trentino, who finally broke an almost uncanny curse.

March 06, 2026

From: leo

Sitting on the winner's chair, she held her hands to her face in disbelief, tears already welling up behind her sunglasses while the race was still underway. "My hands are shaking, I want to wait until the last skier has finished," the 28-year-old said in an interview. Only then did Pirovano accept the congratulations and hugs from her teammates and fellow competitors. After 29 top-10 finishes in the World Cup without a podium finish – the longest such streak in skiing history – the speed specialist finally climbed to the top step of the podium.

“I’m over the moon because I felt really good and was full of confidence,” said Pirovano. “I still need to realize what I’ve achieved. I’m sorry I only won by a hundredth of a second. But I often haven’t had luck on my side, so I just want to enjoy the day.” She said she had known for a long time that she had the potential for such a result. “But I can’t say what I did differently today or why it never worked out before.”

Roberta Melesi and Laura Pirovano. © Pentaphoto

The victory was also statistically significant, as Pirovano reduced the gap to Emma Aicher in the downhill standings. With two races remaining, her deficit is exactly 50 points. "A hundredth of a second is nothing," said the German, who showed herself to be a fair sportswoman: "But I'm happy for Laura, she deserves it."

Many well-wishers

The German skier wasn't alone in her sentiment; it seemed the entire ski community was genuinely happy for Pirovano. "This made me so happy today. Congratulations on an incredibly well-deserved victory, Laura," wrote Norwegian Kajsa Vickhoff Lie on social media. "She deserves it more than anyone else," commented American Isabella Wright.


Within the team, the joy over Pirovano's success was immense. From Nicol Delago to Elena Curtoni and Sofia Goggia – everyone celebrated the first-time winner. The hug with Roberta Melesi, who finished 15th and achieved her best downhill result, was particularly emotional.

“I have received a lot of affection from my teammates, but also from the other athletes from other nations. We see each other regularly, we know each other, and it’s wonderful to share this with them. Today everything is wonderful,” she concluded.