She already has the makings of a great champion, bar one thing: a victory. In two seasons, Lara Colturi has claimed seven World Cup podiums, all in slalom or giant slalom. At the Milan Cortina Games, she was twice among the fastest at the halfway stage. One step remains: the top one.
© Elias Koli @WorldCupLevi
A family, a federation
Her mother, Daniela Ceccarelli, was Olympic super-G champion in Salt Lake City in 2002. Her father, Alessandro Colturi, is a coach. When her mother became technical director of Albania’s women’s team, the daughter followed: since spring 2022, Lara has raced under an Albanian licence. The choice allows her to keep her family support team. Her mother oversees technique; her father handles course setting, strategy and equipment. In spring 2025, the Albanian federation announced an agreement for her to stay in its colours. That ended the rumours of a return to Italy.
Levi, four days after her 16th birthday
Her World Cup debut came in Levi on 19 November 2022, in slalom. She had turned 16 four days earlier. That day, she failed to qualify for the second run. Two years later, on the same tour, everything changed.
Two winters on the podium
Her first podium came in Gurgl on 23 November 2024: second in slalom. Next came a runner-up finish in the giant slalom at Kranjska Gora in January, then third place in the same discipline at Åre in March. These were the first World Cup podiums in Albania’s history. She ended the season eighth overall.
The following winter, slalom was where she shone, with four podiums: second in Levi, on her 19th birthday, and in Gurgl in November 2025, then third at Copper Mountain and at Semmering. She finished seventh in the discipline standings.
Cortina, two runs to learn from
At the Games, she was fourth in the first run of the giant slalom, then seventh in the opening run of the slalom. Both times, the second run got away from her: sixteenth in the giant slalom, tenth in the slalom. At 19, she proved she has the speed of the best. What she still lacks is two runs held together all the way to the finish.
What she brings to the circuit
Lara Colturi’s story is one of skiing without fixed borders. Italian by birth and raised in the inner circle, she is carrying a small nation to its first podiums. Her first win would also be Albania’s. She begins the 2027 season with that step still ahead of her.
Portrait published on 15 September 2025, revised on 6 October 2026: 2025 and 2026 seasons added; date and venue of the World Cup debut corrected (Levi, 19 November 2022, not Sölden). 8 October 2026: ski brand updated.