The time that matters: stories of athletes on the way to Milano Cortina 2026

Interview with Giovanni Ticcò, cross-country skier

Cross-country skiing involves endurance, effort and strategy: how do you learn to manage the long time that a race can last?

You need a great deal of passion to train and have a strong desire to spend many hours outdoors. A few days ago I was talking to the world champion cross-country skier Federico Pellegrino about how you can improve your performance; we also talked about the value of the time that is involved, particularly during preparation. There is no doubt that preparing for races comes from the major work done in the summer, especially at the mental level. While everyone trains, the reason that some, like him, really excel is because the way that they work “in their heads” is so different. I myself have realised that summer is the ideal time for working mentally and getting me ready for winter: it is the time to act, to prepare, so that competing becomes the most natural thing in the world. It’s a wonderful process, knowing that every day brings improvements and builds up a reserve of confidence that, in winter, lets you face each race with greater serenity and awareness.

Every race is also a matter of strategy: how do you decide when to accelerate or when to save energy along the trail?

This also depends a lot on the race format, on the weather, on the trail; developing the right overall strategy demands that you consider various aspects, including the condition of your skis, which have to able meet the performance requirements. Physical condition also plays a role. You have to try and make the most of every second of the day and value all the time that you have available. There’s no need to look for the “extra”, the extreme: being able to make the best of all the time available is already a massive result.

How vital is respecting the time needed for recovery and growth when training?

This matters a lot, because I have always wanted to maintain a constant level of growth over time; but deciding what is the right time for recovery following training is not easy, because the tendency is to want to continually increase training times. But, to perform at your best, you always have to find a balance between the times needed for training and for recovery.

What does it mean to you to pursue this great sporting adventure in Trentino, both the land where you were born and grew up, and the region that has always presented itself as the “land of nature and sport”?

The certificates awarded to my grandfather for his participation meant that I definitely grew up with the myth of the Olympics. Taking part in this competition is an experience that I have yet to absorb. The Olympic Games literally means that you have reached the Olympus of sport, something that is beyond any other competitive experience. I don’t know how many other athletes around the world can say that they have participated in such a fundamental experience practically “on their doorstep”, in places where you have trained since childhood and that you know so well. It’s truly an incredible feeling. The Olympics will ensure huge visibility for Trentino and the whole area involved, just as all the other major events regularly held there, such as the Ski World Cup or the Marcialonga, have provided and will continue to provide. I expect it to be an event beyond all expectation. When I travel round the world, I take great pride in saying where I’m from, because I know I come from a wonderful place.