Giada D'Antonio is causing a sensation in her first professional season. The 16-year-old from southern Italy is now set to make her debut in the World Cup. In an interview with blue News, she explains how to find her way from Naples to the ski circus.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- In November, Giada D'Antonio caused a stir when she won her first two professional races as a skier on the Schilthorn.
- Since then, the 16-year-old's rise has continued apace. In Semmering shortly after Christmas, she will be able to make her debut in the World Cup.
- In an interview with blue News, the native of Naples reveals how she got into skiing and why she had to cry after a victory as a child.
On November 19, there was a minor skiing sensation on the Schilthorn. In her very first professional race , Giada D'Antonio won a FIS slalom with bib number 82.
In doing so, she prevented a Swiss 12-fold victory. D'Antonio proved that the triumph was no coincidence a day later when she won again with bib 63 - this time ahead of 13 Swiss women.
blue News spoke to the Italian last week and asked whether she herself was surprised that she was able to win her first two professional races: "No, I wasn't completely surprised by my results," says D'Antonio confidently, explaining that it had been difficult with the high start number: "The course was in poor condition, but the conditions were also very changeable." However, she did not expect to win both races.
In her second victory, D'Antonio was already in the lead at half-time, but she wasn't particularly nervous about it: "To be honest, I was much calmer in the second race and felt stronger," said the 16-year-old.
D'Antonio skips the European Cup stage
Within a month, things continued to be turbulent for D'Antonio. Among other things for the Nor-Am Cup, the counterpart to the European Cup, to Copper Mountain: "Things are developing very quickly for me at the moment, I didn't think I would be selected for the races in the USA," said D'Antonio, who finished 11th and 13th in the two giant slaloms - again with very high starting numbers.
When blue News asked her last week what her plans were for the near future, the 16-year-old had a clear goal: "I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hope that I might be able to make my debut in the World Cup this season."
Little does D'Antonio know that this goal will soon become a reality, as the Italian has been called up by the Italian Winter Sports Federation "FISI" for the World Cup slalom in Semmering on December 28. This means that D'Antonio skips the European Cup stage completely and can compete directly against the world stars.
There she will be able to compete against her role model - albeit separated by many starting numbers: "I'm inspired by Michaela Shiffrin. That's no surprise, but I think she's the greatest."
From Vesuvius to the Ski World Cup
D'Antonio's story is all the more impressive when you know her origins. She was born in Naples, the daughter of an Italian dentist and a Colombian-Ecuadorian mother.
She lives in San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, at the foot of the Vesuvius volcano, and is a member of the Vesuvio ski club. So how do you get from Vesuvius to the Ski World Cup? "I started skiing with my father when I was very young, it was always a hobby of his."
D'Antonio explains that this is why she has always had a passion for skiing; although she also practised other sports such as swimming or ice skating as a child, skiing has always been her favorite: "Of course it's not easy, because I had to leave home early to make my dreams come true," says the 16-year-old, explaining her difficult decision to focus on skiing as a southern Italian.
She competed in races as a little girl, went through all the junior levels and still has a vivid memory of the time she won a race: "I got a special prize, but I cried because I wanted another prize, which was for second or third place."
So far, D'Antonio has excelled as a technician and has only raced in slalom and giant slalom, but she announces: "At the moment I'm concentrating on these two, but I think that in the future I could try to compete in several disciplines to become more versatile."
Media are already writing about "Ski-Shakira"
D'Antonio has only competed in 11 professional races in her life, but her furious start in the ski circus has also made waves outside of Italy. The Austrian tabloid "Krone" has already dubbed her "Ski-Shakira" due to her origins.
And the 16-year-old knows exactly how to market herself. She already has over 14,000 followers on Instagram. As a young skier, is it important to build up an image as a "brand"? "Yes, you have to look at that for the future, but at the moment I just post as I feel like it. It's completely normal. I'm surprised myself that I have so many followers," explains D'Antonio.
For now, however, she wants to cause a sensation on the ski slopes again. Especially on December 28 at her debut in the World Cup in Semmering. Will she create the next skiing sensation?
