Lara Colturi wants to ride for Italy again in the future. © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

Lara Colturi wants Italy, but there is a catch

Rumors are growing that top ski talent Lara Colturi wants to compete for her home country of Italy again in the future. The Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) declined to comment on the matter for the time being, but is working hard behind the scenes to secure her return.

18 April 2025

From: cst

While Lara Colturi is writing her final exam papers, her team and the FISI are working on the 18-year-old's nationality transfer. Colturi is the daughter of Italian ski icon Daniela Ceccarelli, but after disagreements with the federation three years ago, she decided to compete for Albania. Now Colturi and her team are apparently backtracking and want to compete for Italy again in the future.

The first rumors had already surfaced in the middle of the week, and on Thursday the Albanian TV station confirmed Top Channelthat Colturi's team had requested a change of nation. One of the reasons: next year's Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina. Colturi wants to compete for her home country and, ideally, win Olympic gold, just like her mother.

The catch on the matter

While Italy's ski federation would welcome its long-lost daughter with open arms, Albania apparently still wants to persuade the top talent to change his mind. The Albanian Olympic Committee has to approve the change of nationality, which it has so far refused to do. The matter is also politically explosive. Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama is trying to boost his country's international standing with high-profile sporting events and successes. For example, the Giro d'Italia will start in Albania this year. The loss of the skiing star—in the Olympic year—would be a bitter setback.

But for Colturi, time is of the essence, as the national change back to Italy must be completed by May 1st – otherwise Colturi faces a one-year suspension, which would be a catastrophe for the ski ace in the Olympic winter.