Elena Fanchini, the funeral between applause and balloons

There were so many of them this morning for the last farewell to Elena Fanchini in the church of San Giovanni Battista in Solato (Brescia). Comrade Denis, sisters Nadia and Sabrina, parents and then the fan club, the Fiamme Gialle, his Lions, ex-mates, friends and the inevitable fans. A long collective embrace that began on Friday, in the house where the ski champion who died of cancer at the age of 37 lived and where the funeral home was set up. Also “Dada” Merighetti and Michela Moioli, the blue standard-bearer at the last Winter Olympics in Beijing, came by to greet her. “I prayed a lot to get you healed – said mother Giusi – but the Lord didn’t listen to me. I also asked that your illness be passed on to me. Then I understood that he wanted you, but he granted my request: the I said ‘don’t make me suffer in the last few days otherwise I won’t love you anymore’ and so it was”.

The surprise

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Then a happy memory: “Friday Elly wanted to bring us all together again and we ate the pizza she made. We sat on the sofa and she said to me “Mom, don’t you understand yet?”. I was afraid she would stab me saying that he was leaving. And then he told me, but first he revealed to me: ‘Nadia is pregnant again’. A moment of great joy”. The coffin, welcomed and greeted by a long applause and by the flight of many white balloons, then continued for the cremation. Another will of Elena was her and it is to support cancer research with a donation to the Airc Foundation.

What unfortunately the former blue world silver in the Bormio/Santa Caterina Valfurva 2005 downhill did not have time to see is the gold conquered yesterday by her historic skiman, Luigi ‘Gigi’ Parravicini from Bergamo, now in the box of the Swiss Jasmine Flury, surprise world champion. “Coincidences do not exist” the last caress of her friend Sofia Goggia on Twitter.