Lara Colturi is considered one of the most promising talents in the alpine skiing circus. At the beginning of the year, however, the 16-year-old was set back by a horror injury. Now the ski jewel is back.
When she took part in the World Cup for the first time, Colturi actually wanted to cause a sensation. But things turned out differently. The young hopeful tore a cruciate ligament while warming up before the first training session for the downhill run of the Alpine Ski World Championships in Courchevel and Méribel.
That was the end of the season for Colturi. The teenager worked tirelessly throughout the summer. On Monday she finally made her snow comeback. Colturi posted a video on Instagram that shows her on skis. She wrote: “You never forget the first swings after an injury.”
However, it is still unclear when Colturi will return to competition. The new season starts on October 28th with the World Cup in Sölden. However, such a quick comeback is not really likely.
The daughter of the Italian Olympic champion Daniela Ceccarelli, who triumphed in the Super-G in 2002, is considered a great talent. At the Junior World Championships in St. Anton, Austria, in mid-January, the Turin native won both gold in the Super-G and bronze in the giant slalom.
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At the Junior World Championships, however, Colturi did not compete for Italy, but for Albania. In order to get a place in the World Cup as early as possible, Colturi turned his back on the Italian association (FISI) last year.
The teenager sparked a big debate in her home country, as the change of nation took place without the consent of FISI. The fact that Albania was chosen was less surprising, as her mother Daniela Ceccarelli is also the country’s national team coach.
Colturi made her World Cup debut last November in the slalom in Levi; her best placement to date is 17th place, which she achieved in the giant slalom in Killington and Kronplatz.