The Team Futura GTE Trentino athlete from Sondalo is pushing further up the Ski Classics rankings while also competing in triathlon and coaching other endurance athletes.

Mattia Armellini is one of Italy’s most versatile endurance athletes. The 28-year-old from Team Futura GTE Trentino enjoyed his strongest Ski Classics season to date in Season XVII, winning two Challengers events and recording a personal best on the Pro circuit.

Armellini spent many years in the Italian national junior team and was part of the police sports squad from 2018 to 2024. A highlight of his traditional cross-country career was winning the silver medal in the U23 World Championship freestyle sprint in Oberwiesenthal, Germany. He also recorded two World Cup starts, though a major breakthrough in traditional cross-country skiing did not follow.

In recent seasons, Armellini has shifted his focus primarily to Ski Classics racing. Season XVII brought his best results yet: he won both the Toblach-Cortina Classic and Vasaloppet China Challengers, and finished 22nd at the Reistadløpet, his best Pro Tour result to date. He also finished 26th at the Bedřichov Sprint, 29th at the Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja and 31st at the Birkebeinerrennet, among other top results.

Complete Ski Classics results from Mattia Armellini can be found HERE

But racing is only part of the picture. Armellini competes in triathlon during the summer and works as an endurance coach, writing training plans for numerous athletes. You can follow him on Instagram at @mattiarmelt2.

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A satisfying season

“The past season was great, and I am very satisfied, especially with my personal best at the Reistadløpet; I’m more than happy with that. I was sad to miss the Marcialonga a little, but in hindsight, it wasn’t so bad to sit it out because the conditions were terrible,” says Armellini to ProXCskiing.com.

His goals for the upcoming season are clearly defined: to keep improving and push for a top-20 result.

“I hope to be in good shape for Marcialonga and Vasaloppet,” he says.

Athlete and coach

Armellini approaches sport with an evident passion. He lights up when discussing training methods, recovery phases, and performance tests involving lactate data.

“Being both an athlete and a coach is fantastic; as a coach, I can train with my athletes and learn from them, not just the other way around. And if a race of mine doesn’t go as planned but one of my athletes does well, that feels like a victory for me, too.”

Triathlon training also feeds directly into his winter preparation.

“For me, triathlon training serves as a foundation for winter competitions and gives me the chance to put in a lot of training hours. Even though it isn’t very specific to double-poling, I think swim training is really helpful.”

Read More: Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII

Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII (2026/2027)

• Event 1: December 11, 2026 – Bad Gastein Prologue – Austria – 1km
• Event 2: December 13, 2026 – Sportgastein Criterium – Austria – 30km
• Event 3: December 19, 2026 – Bad Gastein ITT – Austria – 7km
• Event 4: December 20, 2026 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Austria – 36km
• Event 5: January 16, 2027 – Engadin La Diagonela – Switzerland – 55km
• Event 6: January 17, 2027 – Zuoz–St. Moritz Sprint – Switzerland – 30km
• Event 7: January 31, 2027 – Marcialonga – Italy – 70km
• Event 8: February 12, 2027 – Bedřichov Heat Sprint – Czech Republic – 1.5km
• Event 9: February 14, 2027 – Jizerská50 – Czech Republic – 50km
• Event 10: February 27, 2027 – Oxberg–Mora Sprint Women – Sweden – 30km
• Event 11: February 28, 2027 – Oxberg–Mora Sprint Men – Sweden – 30km
• Event 12: March 7, 2027 – Vasaloppet – Sweden – 90km
• Event 13: March 20, 2027 – Birkebeinerrennet – Norway – 53km
• Event 14: April 3, 2027 – Reistadløpet – Norway – 35km
• Event 15: April 4, 2027 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Norway – 60km

For more updates and detailed information about the Ski Classics World Championship, visit skiclassics.com.

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