When the smoke clears and the snow melts, a family life awaits with his wife and two children high up in the Aosta Valley. But for the world of cross-country skiing, the loss will be significant.

The risk of an even greater Norwegian dominance looms. You will be missed, Chiccopelle. Arrivederci!

He received the Olympic medals he desired as a farewell gift on home soil. After celebrations both at home and internationally, Federico Pellegrino (known as Chiccopelle) is now disappearing from the start lists of international competitions.

The 35-year-old has not only been a breath of fresh air but also a genuine challenger to Norwegian dominance, especially in sprint events. The highlight came in Lahti in 2017.
World Champion in sprint!

He has battled against both Petter Northug Jr. and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. Often, it has been David versus Goliath. But Chiccopelle has always risen to the challenge.
As he once told me:

“Now I can one day tell my grandchildren that I competed against the one and only Klæbo!”

Since his debut in the 2009/2010 season, he has participated in 311 World Cup races. He stood on the podium 47 times and won 17 of those races. A career that commands respect.

In the 2015/2016 season, he won the sprint World Cup, becoming the first non-Scandinavian to do so. This was also a sign of how significant his efforts have been in breaking the Nordic dominance. His first World Championship medal came in Falun in 2015 when he won bronze in the team sprint alongside Dietmar Nöckler.

But he topped it all with the World Championship gold in sprint in Lahti 2017. This was the first Italian World Championship gold in cross-country skiing since Renato Pasini and Cristian Zorzi won the team sprint in Sapporo in 2007. Pellegrino also took silver in the team sprint in 2017, once again with Dietmar Nöckler.

He was celebrated as a hero with bronze in both the relay and team sprint at the Olympics on home soil in Val di Fiemme. This was the last and ultimate goal for cross-country skier Federico Pellegrino.

Now he hopes for a quieter life at home in Gressoney-Saint-Jean in the Aosta Valley with his wife Greta Laurent and their two children. Greta was also a national team skier for Italy, and the couple has been together since 2012.

Federico Pellegrino leaves a significant void in the international cross-country elite. The Italian national team must now invest in a new generation. There is hope for the future. Pellegrino won the Olympic bronze in the team sprint alongside Elia Barp, who is 12 years younger.

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