Olympics
Lara Colturi, one of alpine skiing’s brightest young talents, faces an uncertain path to the 2026 Winter Olympics due to a dispute between the Albanian Ski Federation and her family over her desire to return to compete for Italy, reports Eurosport.it.
Born in Turin and the daughter of 2002 Olympic champion Daniela Ceccarelli, Colturi, 18, made history for Albania with three World Cup podiums this season, including second-place finishes in Gurgl and Kranjska Gora and a third in Åre.
Colturi’s family recently submitted a formal request for her to switch national representation back to Italy ahead of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics. The move, motivated partly by financial and sponsorship considerations, has been met with resistance from the Albanian Ski Federation, which insists that Colturi cannot leave without its approval. Under International Ski Federation (FIS) rules, a change of federation at this stage requires the consent of both countries. Without Albania’s release, Colturi would be forced to sit out all major competitions—including the Olympics—for a year, a devastating prospect for an athlete at the peak of her form.
Elvis Toci, president of the Albanian Ski Federation, acknowledged Colturi’s Italian roots and her wish to compete at home during the Olympics but emphasized Albania’s role in her rapid rise. “Without Albania, she would not be the athlete she is now, even though she was previously trained in Italy,” Toci told Top Channel. He added that the federation is “pursuing our own interests” and is determined to keep her in the Albanian team.
Toci revealed that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has promised €300,000 in funding to support Colturi’s training, an huge sum for the nation’s modest winter sports budget. “We are making extraordinary efforts to find the budget to have a serious contract, to keep Lara Colturi. We as a nation have not been ready to have an athlete of this caliber in our midst,” Toci said.
Colturi’s camp has not commented publicly on the negotiations. The deadline to file a transfer request with the FIS is May 1. If an agreement is not reached, Colturi must choose between remaining with Albania or risking a one-year suspension from international competition, which would rule her out of the Milan-Cortina Games.
For Albania, retaining Colturi is about more than medals; her presence could allow the country to send multiple athletes to the Olympics for the first time. For Italy, she represents the future at a time when its ski stars are nearing retirement.
