For the sixth Olympics, the fourth in a row, the Italian Alpine Ski Team is relying on the Mapei Sport Research Centre. Before the start of the World Cup season and ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games, Italy’s best skiers travelled to Olgiate Olona (Varese) to undergo the usual physical tests to optimise their ski preparation, as described in detail by Realtà Mapei.
Under the watchful eye of Claudio Pecci, medical director of the Varese centre, and Ermanno Rampinini, operations director and head of the Human Performance Lab, Sofia Goggia, Dominik Paris and their teammates underwent periodic functional assessments, which included symmetry and control tests, preventive health checks and athletic performance measurements.
The collaboration between Mapei Sport and the Italian Winter Sports Federation, chaired by Flavio Roda, has now lasted for over 23 years (with a break only between 2009 and 2012). Since then, every member of the Italian Alpine Ski Team, including the youngest talents, undergoes two assessment sessions during the year: one at the beginning of the preparatory period, between April and May, and one just before the start of the competitive period, between October and November. The battery of tests consists of a series of assessments to measure the physiological qualities considered most important for performance in alpine skiing. After taking some anthropometric measurements, the athletes perform the Functional Movement Screening (FMS). Subsequently, the explosive strength of the lower limbs is measured using various types of jump tests, the strength of the trunk and aerobic power are measured using a cycle ergometer test, and an assessment of neuromuscular fatigue is carried out using a special press designed by Professor Mognoni, from whom it takes its name.
To learn more, Realtà Mapei interviewed Giuseppe Abruzzini, athletic trainer for the elite women’s alpine skiing team, who highlighted the central role of research and technology in athlete training. Physical monitoring, performance analysis and injury prevention are key elements of the process, as Sofia Goggia herself explains in the video below.