18-year-old Lara Colturi has caused a stir this winter with two podium finishes. The daughter of Olympic champion Daniela Ceccarelli is now dreaming of Albania's first World Ski Championship medal. In an interview with blue Sport, she talks about her goals, the pressure to succeed and other ski stars.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Lara Colturi has made her big breakthrough in the Ski World Cup. The 18-year-old has already finished on the podium in the slalom and giant slalom.
- Born in Italy, she is competing in the World Cup for Albania and is now dreaming of her first World Cup medal for the Balkan country.
- In an interview with blue Sport, Colturi reveals what the moment was like for her when she was greeted by Mikaela Shiffrin for the first time and why her mother's name raises expectations.
If you watch the women's slalom and giant slalom ski races on TV, you've probably already noticed it. The double-headed eagle. The heraldic animal of Albania has made it into the Ski World Cup in a prominent role. Lara Colturi is responsible for this. Born in Italy, she skis for Albania and has achieved one top result after another. In the last nine races, she has always finished in the top 15.
In addition to her nationality, there is something else that stands out about Colturi: Her young age. She is only 18 years old, but already has podium finishes in slalom and giant slalom to her name. She made her World Cup debut in Levi in 2022 - just four days after her 16th birthday. In an interview with blue Sport, Colturi recalls: "It was incredible for me. Because the year before, I was still watching the World Cup on TV and suddenly I was racing with them."
And Colturi immediately showed what she was capable of in the World Cup. In just her third race in Killington, she finished 17th with bib number 58. Colturi quickly worked her way up the start lists and, looking back, says: "When I got into the top 30, the top athletes started to notice me and greet me. And I thought: 'Oh my God, Mikaela Shiffrin has said hello to me'."
"Are you also going to win Olympic gold?"
The fact that Colturi was born with talent becomes clear when you look at her parents. Her father Alessandro Colturi was a professional skier, but her mother Daniela Ceccarelli was even more successful. She won Olympic gold in the super-G in 2002. "Ever since I was a little kid, people have been saying to me: 'You're Daniela Ceccarelli's daughter and she won Olympic gold, will you do the same?" And I always say: 'Yes ok, we'll see'."
However, being the daughter of an Olympic champion doesn't just create pressure, it also has advantages, as mother Ceccarelli is also her coach: "Of course, she's always been around me since I was little and my first races as a five-year-old. She's still with me now in the World Cup, which means a lot to me," says Colturi.
Mother and coach at the same time, can that work at all? "It's not easy for either of them, of course. Not even for my father, because he also coaches me," explains Colturi. But there are different levels: "When we're training, we're training and when we're at home, we're at home. We can manage it pretty well," says Colturi.
Clearly won the first five races
With her successful mother behind her, Colturi has already attracted a lot of attention as a young rider. She was regarded as a great talent at an early age and quickly earned the nickname "Speed Girl". And her successes at a young age are impressive: in July and August 2022, 15-year-old Colturi competes in her first FIS races in Chile. She won all four races by more than a second. Colturi says to blue Sport: "That's when I realized that I could make it as a professional."
Colturi then took part in the South American Cup, where she took six victories and two further podium places. She wins the overall ranking, the giant slalom ranking, the slalom ranking and also the combined ranking.
After her successful World Cup debut, Colturi also shone at the 2023 Junior World Championships, winning gold and bronze - the first skiing medals in Albanian history. A short time later, Colturi travels to the World Championships in Courchevel and suffers a setback: She tears her cruciate ligament during training. Her World Championship dream was shattered and her season was over.
But Colturi comes back, establishes herself in the World Cup and makes her big breakthrough in the current season at the age of 18. In November 2024, she finished second in the slalom in Gurgl, and in January she also made it onto the podium in the giant slalom in Kranjska Gora. "Now it's my third year and I feel more comfortable in this world. And it's going pretty well," summarizes Colturi.
Rule number 1: Always have fun
In her current top form, she now travels to the World Championships in Saalbach and is cautious when asked about her goals: "I raced in the finals in Saalbach last year, I like the course and have a really good feeling on it. We'll see what's possible." A medal is of course a big thing for any athlete taking part in the World Championships.
She doesn't feel any particular pressure after her podium finishes. She feels good and is simply focusing on doing the right things. She could still improve in the technical area: "But it's more about the details. If you're already very good, you have to pay attention to the details. That's what we're working on now, but of course the number one rule is always to have fun," explains Colturi.
Glacier training instead of warm summer evenings
The fact that super-talented Colturi decided to compete for Albania at the age of 15 caused quite a stir in Italy. Colturi made the decision at the time in order to be able to compete in the World Cup as quickly as possible. In addition, her mother Ceccarelli was already working as a coach for the Albanian team.
Colturi no longer wants to talk about her decision at the time. Everything has already been said. But Colturi tells us what it's like for her in her small team: "Of course it's not easy to be alone in the World Cup, especially when you're 18 years old. I also have to do school and the other things that 18-year-olds do."
Her team consists of her parents, the service men and an osteopath. However, she is not completely alone as a rider: "I also train with other riders and of course I have friends on the tour who I spend time with," says Colturi.
Colturi dedicated the majority of her teenage years to her career: "Of course you have to invest a lot of time as a professional skier. You're hardly ever at home, you're always traveling around the world for 6 to 10 months. And the summer break isn't easy either, you'd like to go out or enjoy the summer time and go to warm places. But at the same time, you have to go to the glacier to train." But Colturi is not complaining about that, on the contrary: "I love it. I still have enough time to meet friends, come home and go to school and study like a normal girl."
Things will get serious for Colturi at the World Championships on February 13 and 15, when the giant slalom and slalom are scheduled in Saalbach. Maybe she will even win the first World Ski Championship medal in Albania's history.
