Italian cross-country skier Francesco De Fabiani has retired from the sport. The 33-year-old announced the news on social media.

De Fabiani, born April 21, 1993, represented Italy at three Olympic Games, competing at Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, and Beijing 2022. At the World Cup, he went on to record ten individual podiums and one individual victory over a decade-long career, along with six team podiums and two team wins. He also earned two World Championship medals in the team sprint, taking bronze at Seefeld 2019 and silver at Planica 2023.

In his retirement statement, De Fabiani reflected on a career defined as much by the journey as by results.

“Cross-country skiing has been my life for a very long time. It has given me everything: enormous emotions, friendships, travel, victories, defeats, medals, disappointments, unforgettable days, and others I wish I could have erased,” he wrote and added:

“In recent years it has not been easy. I tried to keep that flame alive, to find within myself the motivation, the strength and the lightness needed to compete at this level. But at a certain point you have to have the courage to truly listen to yourself.”

His final World Cup start came on January 25, 2026, at the 20km classic mass start in Goms, Switzerland.

De Fabiani thanked his family, coaches, teammates, support staff, military sports group C.S. Esercito, sponsors, and fans.

“Thank you to cross-country skiing, because it shaped me as an athlete and as a person,” he wrote. “I don’t know exactly what awaits me, but I know that everything I have lived will stay with me forever.”

Also Read: Italian cross-country skiing teams for season 2026/2027

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