A ski slope with real snow in the centre of town in August? It is possible in Livigno, a well-known Valtellina resort that gave tourists and locals the chance to experience a taste of the winter season on today's pleasant weather day: the streets of Piccolo Tibet were in fact covered in a kilometre-long blanket of snow, creating a cross-country ski run in the town's pedestrianised centre that came alive with the 1k Shot race. The competitive competition on narrow skis saw the participation of the entire Italian National Cross-Country Ski Team captained by multiple Olympic medallist Federico Pellegrino - who was staying in Livigno for a high-altitude training camp - and athletes from sports bodies and regional committees. Top-level champions who also competed against some locals from the Livigno Team, including Nicolò Cusini, Thomas Bormolini and Veronica Silvestri. The women's category - consisting of four athletes - kicked off the competition: Anna Comarella was the first to start in the qualification from the Piazza della Chiesa di S. Maria, followed by the other female challengers. Federico Pellegrino opened the competition of the men's category, consisting of 16 participants, who ran through the streets of the centre with the aim of earning the highest step on the podium.
The 'Best 8' then took part in a pairwise challenge with direct elimination, again in classic technique, which thrilled all the spectators, both locals and tourists, present along the route leading to the Piazza del Comune. The exciting race saw Veronica Silvestri, who stood out among the other challengers and set her sights on the Under-23 World Championships in Canada, and Francesco De Fabiani triumph: they earned first place on the podium with 2:06.72 and 1:45.96 respectively. "Taking part in the 1k Shot was an incredible experience! During the race, I tried to give the best of myself, taking as my model Marianna Longa, a former cross-country runner whom I admire a lot for her sporting career. Being on the first step of the podium really makes me very proud, but competing at home gave me even more motivation to achieve the goal of first place: during the challenge I felt the warmth and enthusiasm of my fellow citizens, but also of all the other fans present along the route," said Veronica Silvestri. While Francesco De Fabiani said: "I have always appreciated Livigno as a tourist and sports location, but I think that the snowfarming technique is exceptional: not only does it reduce the use of artificial snow, but it also allows us athletes to train independently in advance of the winter season. I am happy with the result today and to have been able to compete at the 1k Shot, an event that deserves to continue over the years".
Women's cross-country ranking
1. Veronica Silvestri - 2:06.72
2. Anna Comarella - 2:09.23
3. Chiara Dezolt - 02:15.86
4. Anna Rossi - 2:16.16
Men's cross-country ranking
1. Francesco De Fabiani - 1:45.96
2. Simone Mastrobattista - 1:47.54
3. Federico Pellegrino - 1:49.23
4. Giandomenico Salvadori - 1:55.77
Following this, on the same track but in the opposite direction, the long-awaited Gara da li Contrada da Livign took place, a cross-country skiing competition in which the contradaioli in typical Livigno clothing as well as the young local hopefuls took part. This day was a foretaste of the upcoming winter season, which will begin in mid-October with the opening of the cross-country ring thanks to the snowfarming technique, an innovative conservation method based on the use of geothermal sheets that protect it from summer temperatures, preventing it from melting. This makes it possible to reduce the use of artificial snow, reusing the abundant snowfall at the end of winter.
News / 5.09.2022
This year in Livigno the temperature was not so cold as the previous editions and ICON, athletes found 3 degrees Celsius on the shores of Lago Gallo with clear weather. The starting line was moved several hundreds of meters down because of the low water level. However, the distance in water remained unchanged and the athletes faced 3,8 km in pitch black water in the swimming fraction.
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