Annika Sieff changes sport. © ANSA / ANDREA SOLERO

Italy's winter sports jewel is changing sides

In recent years, Annika Sieff has been one of the best and most talented Nordic combined athletes in the world. Now the 19-year-old from Trentino has changed sports.

23 May 2023

From: dl

The Italian Winter Sports Federation announced the Nordic combined and ski jumping squads on Tuesday. Annika Sieff has recently been leading in the second-mentioned sport. The athlete from Varena im Fiemme Valley has caused a sensation in the women's Nordic combined competition in recent years and landed on the podium a total of six times in the World Cup. Sieff has already been crowned junior world champion twice.

The background to their decision is certainly the 2026 Olympic Games. Because the women's Nordic combined has not yet been included in the program for the Olympics in Milan and Cortina. The future of this sport, which has only been around at World Cup level for two years, does not look bright. This is also why Sieff decided to change.

Annika Sieff will only concentrate on ski jumping. © ANSA / CHRISTIAN BRUNA

Sieff was usually one of the best jumpers in the Nordic combined. In the cross-country skiing race that followed, the lanky Azzurra usually lost a few positions. In the coming season, Sieff will form the A team in the Italian women's ski jumping team together with the Val Gardena women Jessica and Lara Malsiner. It will be exciting to see how Sieff performs in the future.