On the spectacular snow of the Dolomites, among the fast curves of the Olympia delle Tofane, Italy experienced another sporting moment to remember. The protagonist is Chiara Mazzel, a 29-year-old skier from Trentino, who won an extraordinary gold medal in the Super-G in the vision impaired category at the Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympics.
A powerful, precise descent, without hesitation. Mazzel stopped the clock at 1’14”84, a time that allowed her to precede her great rival Veronika Aigner and take the top step of the podium. For Italy it is a victory that weighs double: a success on home tracks and in front of an audience that accompanied the feat with deafening cheering.
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A very fast race full of emotions
Super-G, one of the fastest disciplines in alpine skiing, requires a perfect combination of speed, courage and precision in trajectories, even more so on the Tofane, a technical and treacherous slope. Mazzel, led by her teammate Nicola Cotti Cottini, found the right rhythm right from the start.
Their harmony proved decisive: in the visually impaired category, in fact, the guide skis in front of the athlete and continuously communicates directions on the route. Behind the Italian was the Austrian Veronika Aigner, 0”60 behind, while the bronze went to the Slovakian Alexandra Rexova. At the foot of the podium was the other Italian Martina Vozza, fourth at the end of a very solid performance.
The revenge after the silver
For Chiara Mazzel this medal also represents personal redemption. Only a few days ago he had won a silver in the downhill, an important result but received with a hint of regret. The Super-G offered her the chance to take revenge. And she did it in the most spectacular way possible: dominating the race and beating the opponent who had preceded her in the previous race. And to think that this morning she didn’t even want to leave due to a terrible headache that had also affected her balance. In the end, however, she managed to manage this inconvenience perfectly, bringing home the most prestigious result.
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The bond with the leadership and strength of the team
In Paralympic skiing, victory never belongs to just one athlete. With Mazzel also on the podium is Nicola Cotti Cottini, the guide who literally becomes the eyes of the skier during the descent. Their collaboration is the result of very hard training, absolute trust and constant communication. A balance that worked perfectly on the Tofane.
A few minutes later another medal with Giacomo Bertagnolli
For the Italian delegation, Chiara Mazzel’s triumph is the second gold, after the one won by Emanuel Perathoner in snowboard cross. But it doesn’t end there because a few minutes later here is another medal, the fifth for our standard bearers, this time a silver with Giacomo Bertagnolli who comes close to first place just 16 hundredths away again in the visually impared super-G. This is also the second individual success for him after the bronze in the downhill. A test that didn’t start very well but which saw him recover a lot in the second part of the race. A day which therefore confirms the growth of Italian Paralympic sport, which is increasingly competitive, and which places us in provisional third place in the Paralympic medal table.
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