Livigno and the Sgambeda: a 35-year embrace
Livigno, 15 December 2025 – Some events belong not only to the sporting calendar, but to the collective memory of a community. The Sgambeda is certainly one of these, and its 35th edition, celebrated yesterday on the snow of Livigno, once again confirmed the strong identity of an event that over time has become a ritual spanning generations, stories, and emotions. It was a success in terms of participation, atmosphere, and shared energy, with athletes and amateurs from across Europe filling the Livigno plain on a morning of authentic, collective sport.
The 2025 edition was a special one, made even more meaningful by the approaching 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Every glide, every step, every breath on the snow seemed to be in dialogue with that now very near future, in a place where winter is not awaited: it is lived. Prepared. Built together. A resort that never stops welcoming the world’s best athletes from every discipline, and that renews year after year its commitment to offering cross-country skiing one of its most spectacular and technical stages.
The great journey of the Sgambeda 2025 concluded with international victories by Aubin Gautier Pelissier of France and Germany’s Alexandra Danner, the protagonists of a day that thrilled in a natural setting that remains unique on the European scene. From the village center to the most iconic sections of the plain, the free-technique course once again offered a perfect snapshot of what Livigno represents: a place where sport meets the purest soul of the territory.
As tradition dictates, the event was accompanied by the smiles and enthusiasm of the Mini Sgambeda, which on Saturday brought the youngest participants onto the track with a playful, dynamic course designed to pass on to new generations the value of snow and respect for the mountains. A sweet prelude to a Sunday that confirmed the event’s role as an emotional bridge between past and future, between the history of cross-country skiing and the new winter now taking shape.
Because in Livigno, winter has been underway for some time. The trails are alive, busy, ready to meet a diverse and constantly evolving demand: a community that inhabits snow as a daily language. And as the echo of applause fades along the finish line, the horizon shifts toward the next major chapter: the World Cup Super-G scheduled for 27 December, preceded on the 26th by the Bib Draw Show—the spectacular and innovative bib-draw ceremony that will combine music, art, and performance in a completely new format. Two days that will bring top-level alpine skiing to Livigno for the first time in its history, just steps away from the most eagerly awaited Olympic winter ever.
Because here, among these mountains, winter does not simply fall: it takes shape, rises, and tells a story. And every event is a new breath in a season that promises unprecedented emotions. Livigno opened its winter with the Sgambeda. Now, the world awaits it.
