Laura Pirovano (right) was comforted by Roberta Melesi (left). © Screenshot

Italian woman sheds bitter ski tears

The final women's Ski World Cup race before the Olympic Games on Saturday was dominated by Switzerland's Malorie Blanc, who celebrated her first World Cup victory in Crans-Montana. However, an Italian skier almost snatched the win from her.

February 01, 2026

From: sn

At just 22 years old, Malorie Blanc is considered one of the most promising skiers of the future. After finishing second in the downhill in St. Anton last year, she sensationally won in Crans-Montana on Saturday. This season, she had only managed one top-10 finish – sixth in the Super-G in St. Moritz. The only skier who could have overtaken her on next year's World Championship course was the Italian Laura Pirovano.

The 28-year-old was still around six-tenths of a second ahead of the Swiss skier at the last split time. But then she overlooked a wave, missed the final gate, and watched her chances slip away. When the skier from Trentino realized at the finish line what a huge opportunity she had just missed, she burst into tears. She was consoled by her teammate Roberta Melesi, who herself narrowly missed out on the first podium finish, coming in fourth.

An unbelievable run of bad luck

“It’s not easy,” said the speed specialist after the race. “I’m trying to take the good things home with me, but right now I’m experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions. At the same time, I’ve already experienced more difficult moments in my sporting career. I have to concentrate on the positives,” Pirovano emphasized.

Laura Pirovano argued. © Pentaphoto

This marks another dry spell for the Italian skier. Pirovano has finished in the top 5 ten times (!) in the World Cup, but has yet to reach the podium. The disappointment must therefore have been all the greater. Perhaps the Olympic Games in Cortina will finally break her drought.