Alex Vinatzer wants to bounce back in the Olympic season. © Pentaphoto

Under new management: Things are getting serious for Italy's ski aces

With the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy's ski aces are about to embark on what is arguably the most important season of their careers. The Azzurri want to lay the foundation for this with on-snow training in South America.

August 04, 2025

From: dl

A technical trio consisting of Alex Vinatzer, Tommaso Sala, and Filippo Della Vite, along with Giovanni Franzoni, will depart for Ushuaia on Friday. Vinatzer and his team will remain in Argentina until August 25, before returning to Italy. They will be accompanied by the new head coach, Mauro Pini, as well as Peter Fill and Davide Marchetti. The group will then return to Argentina on September 12, when Luca De Aliprandini will join them and stay until October 4.

Under Pini, Italy's technical team is expected to return to peak form. The Swiss is one of the most well-known coaches in the World Cup and has coached exceptional athletes such as Tina Maze, Lara Gut-Behrami, and Petra Vlhova during his career.

Mauro Pini (right/here with Petra Vlhova) is tasked with getting Alex Vinatzer & Co. back on track. © ct

Italy's technical team endured a turbulent preseason. In January, slalom director Simone Del Dio threw in the towel mid-season – partly due to a lack of results. Currently, there are only two world-class athletes: Luca De Aliprandini (who finished third in the Adelboden giant slalom) and Alex Vinatzer (who finished second in the Kitzbühel slalom). Now, with Pini, things are looking up again – just in time for the Olympics.

When will the rest come to South America?

On Wednesday, August 27, it will be the turn of the second group of the men's technical World Cup team, consisting of Tobias Kastlunger, Matteo Canins, Tommaso Saccardi, Stefano Pizzato, Simon Talacci, Davide Leonardo Seppi, Corrado Barbera and Matteo Bendotti, who will return on September 23.

Dominik Paris will start ski training in a month.

Groups 1 and 2 of the men's speed disciplines in the World Cup, however, will depart on September 5 and remain in Argentina until October 4. These include Mattia Casse, Florian Schieder, Guglielmo Bosca, Christof Innerhofer, Pietro Zazzi, Nicolò Molteni, Benjamin Alliod, Max Perathoner, Marco Abbruzzese, Gregorio Bernardi, Matteo Franzoso, and Leonardo Rigamonti.

Dominik Paris will also start on September 5, but with the destination Chile (La Parva), where he will stay until September 21. He will then meet his teammates in Ushuaia and stay with them until his return on October 4.

That's what Goggia & Co. do.

As for the women, Marta Bassino will be the first athlete to depart for Argentina on August 22. Five days later, Roberta Melesi, Asja Zenere, and Ilaria Ghisalberti will travel to the event and train with Bassino on the slopes of Ushuaia until September 26.

Sofia Goggia trains in Argentina and Chile. © APA / SEAN M. HAFFEY

On September 1, Sofia Goggia will depart for Ushuaia. Two weeks later, the Bergamasco native will move on to La Parva (Chile), where she will stay until October 4. Laura Pirovano, Elena Curtoni, Nadia Delago, and Nicol Delago will travel to Argentina on September 6 and return on October 7.