TO alone 18 years old, Flora Tabanelli is already one of the most promising faces of the Italian freestyle skiing. The young Emilian is ready for the track Livigno and aims for the podium in his specialty: the Big Air Of Milan-Cortina 2026. The nineteen year old will also compete with her Maria Gasslitteranother blue star of acrobatic skiing. A challenge of speed, timing, jumps and creativity. After a bad injury in training in Austria a few months ago, Tabanelli shone in Big Air qualifying. Despite his young age, he showed it competitive maturity and determination. All you have to do is cheer for her and enjoy the show.
Flora Tabanelli’s 2025: from great triumphs to injury
Hitting the highest point and then suddenly falling: Flora’s 2025 was a real one rollercoaster of emotions. After an extraordinary start with a series of international successes – Overall World Cup of freestyle, Big Air World CupThe X-Games of big air in Aspen ei Big air world championships in Engadine – lhe young Emilian has suffered a hard blow. During a workout a Stubai, Austriaone reported injury to the anterior cruciate ligament of the right kneea few months before the Olympic Games. “It wasn’t easy at the beginning, because the injury came at a delicate moment,” the Italian told Eleven magazine in December. “But they are part of the game and therefore must be accepted.”
Flora Tabanelli competes in the women’s Freeski Big Air final at the 2025 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in St. Moritz. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)
The path to legend
Flora grew up on the snow and brings it to the slopes passion for the mountains passed on to her by her parents, managers of the Lago Scaffaiolo refuge on the Apennines. His career was a constant growth: from the 2023 world youth titleto the successes to the 2024 Youth Olympic Games in Gangwonwhere she was flag bearer and he conquered two gold medalsuntil the record-breaking year of 2025. After the injury, Flora embarked on a path of intensive rehabilitation. Back in Val di Fassahe started skiing again gradually, alternating jumping, gym and stretchingstrengthening balance, strength and coordination. Now, on the slopes of Livigno, Flora is aiming for final step towards legend: one Olympic medal which could consecrate her among the greats of Italian skiing, following in the footsteps of Alberto Tomba (family friend) and continuing to surprise the world with his talent and his personality.
Miro Tabanelli, a brother with the same passion for snow
For Flora, skiing is one family matter. The Italian arrived in Milan-Cortina together with her brother Miro Tabanelliolder than three years. Grown together among the snows ofTuscan-Emilian ApenninesMiro started before her in the world of freestyle skiingbecoming his guidance and inspiration. «By watching him I learned to dare and believe in my abilities”he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. The two share not only a love of snow, but also creativity and desire to push oneself beyond one’s limits. This year, both won the X-Games in the same discipline, sealing years of shared training and one complicity that goes beyond the races. Miro did not qualify for the Men’s Big Airbut he will be the first to cheer for his sister.
Flora Tabanelli and Miro Tabanelli pose during the FISI (Italian Winter Sports Federation) media day at the Armani Hotel. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
The Big Air challenge
The Big Air it is one of the most spectacular and challenging disciplines of the freestyle skiing. Athletes face off huge rampsaccomplishing very high jumps and performing complex aerial evolutions between rotations, twists and grabs. Each jump requires strength, precision and perfect timingbecause even a small mistake can compromise the landing and the judges’ evaluation. For a talent like Flora Tabanellithe Big Air is at the same time an opportunity to show your own inventiveness and an extreme testing ground, where every evolution can make the difference between medal and disappointment.
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