The legend of world skiing is told between the memories of Albertville and the new project for Milano Cortina 2026: «I will cook my Valtellina»
«I hung up my skis a while ago: I gave. Now it’s time to take on other challenges. One above all? The kitchen.” He smiles Deborah Compagnoni. Born in 1970, from Bormio, where in recent days the men’s alpine skiing and ski mountaineering races are being held – the latter an Olympic discipline for the first time in history -, the former skier from Valtellina doesn’t seem to have any nostalgia for competitions.
On the other hand, he has made several Olympic appearances and won a lot: an unexpected and brilliant gold in the super-giant, for example Albertville 1992. The first Olympic title at just 21 years old. The next day he breaks his knee: an injury that would have stopped many careers, but not his. Two years later, a LillehammerCompagnoni returns stronger than before and wins gold in the giant slalom. It is the triumph of rebirth, technique and tenacity. TO Nagano 1998 completes the work: with a third gold, again in the giant slalom, she becomes the first skier to win the same discipline in two consecutive editions of the Games. A silver follows in the special. A list of honors that places it among the greatest of all time.
Ai World Championships the spoils are equally important: one gold (Sestriere 1997, giant slalom), two silvers and three bronzes, distributed between giant slalom and super G. Here too, continuity and the ability to return after injuries. In the World Cup he totaled 16 victories, 44 podiums overall and two specialty cups in giant slalom (1997 and 1998). In 1997 she finished second in the general classification, coming close to the overall Cup.
Numbers that only partially reveal his greatness. Because Deborah Compagnoni’s successes are medals, but also comebacks, courageous choices and that unique Valtellina ability to reinvent herself.
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Who is Deborah Compagnoni today?
«A simple woman, with a great desire to do. Always. In a few days, for example, you will see me at the stove. I am a daughter of art (ride): mother Adelaide cooked for decades in the restaurant of the family hotel, the Baita Fiorita in Santa Caterina Valfurva, my town. Before her, my grandparents. From my mother, however, I inherited the passion, care and dedication that makes a dish tastier. Thanks to her I understood that food is a connection with who we are and where we come from.”
We’ll see her in the kitchen: will she be on TV too? It’s not that original.
«No TV. And assuming that it won’t be original, I’m interested in conveying an emotion, with a light head, a generous soul, a broad heart, an apron on and hands in the dough.”
What will he do?
«I will lead a cooking experience dedicated to typical Valtellina dishes. I will do it at Casa Airbnb, a space made available by Airbnb, global partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will open its doors from 7 to 22 February 2026 in via Senato, Milan. I know this reality well: I have often used it both as a customer during my travels, when I was looking for accommodation that would make me feel at home, and as a host, when I had to make the accommodation available instead. A double bond with an Olympic partner who has the merit of having proposed me a splendid initiative linked to food. We’ve been working on it since October: I hope to do well in the kitchen. I would like it to be an authentic, true experience, the way I like it.”
The menu.
«Studyed down to the smallest detail, but without making it an exercise in style. It will be a card within everyone’s reach, replicable at home, free from technicalities. And above all built on Valtellina products: few, identifiable, solid – buckwheat, bresaola, cheeses like the Bitto which I adore, the Casera which we call “scimudin” and, of course, the wine. We don’t have an infinite repertoire, but raw materials with great personality, with which we can do a lot. This is what is close to my heart: letting the cuisine tell the story of the mountain, so that those who taste it take away a specific taste. And, perhaps, the desire to return.”
No pizzoccheri?
«Making them well takes time: better fresh, better by hand. Demanding. For an event like this I chose something else. A small salad with finely chopped chicory, artisanal bresaola, Casera flakes, dandelion honey for dressing and toasted buckwheat grains. A drop of oil and some lemon, and off we go. It could already be a complete dish.”
Other?
«A risotto with Vecchio Sassella. A Superior Valtellina. I use it in cooking, more or less one bottle for every ten people. Then I add some vegetable broth. Also inside is a Valsassina cheese with edible high mountain flowers. It’s a coherent menu: the common thread is buckwheat.”
The dessert.
«Crêpes, always made of buckwheat, with apple compote from Valtellina, a little cinnamon, caramelized cane sugar and fresh cream. Simple, authentic, tasty.”
She grew up in the kitchen. How important is nutrition for an athlete?
«A lot, without obsessions. In my day we weren’t so focused on macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, fats. Nutrition varied based on the type of training. At a certain point I started working with an excellent athletic trainer, Roberto Manzoni, who made me understand how important it was to introduce more proteins into my diet. I tended to eat few: I wasn’t a vegetarian, but almost. I mainly consumed cheese and some eggs – which I didn’t particularly like – more for taste than for nutritional strategy. When I increased my protein intake, I noticed an improvement in my muscle and competition performance. Today, at certain competitive levels, attention is greater: athletes are monitored meticulously and also use supplements. When I competed they were not so widespread, nor valid or digestible, so in the end it was preferable to focus on a traditional diet. All in all, I find that it is still the best choice: eating well is more effective and pleasant.”
Do you think there is greater awareness at the table today, even away from the racing fields?
«Yes, but it is an attention that paradoxically generates more confusion than clarity. Today we are inundated with information, yet we struggle to distinguish the value of what we put on our plates. As a mother, even before being an athlete, I observe with concern the invasion of ultra-processed products: when a label presents an infinite list of ingredients, it is clear that we are faced with a distorted food. Quality, on the contrary, is found in simplicity and subtraction. Educating yourself to know the raw material is the only way to eat better. An awareness necessary for everyone: health makes no distinction between those aiming for Olympic gold and those who practice sport for pure personal well-being.”
Milano Cortina 2026: are you excited?
«Every Olympics brings with it sensations that are difficult to describe, the kind that give you goosebumps. Today the Games are larger and more complex, with an impressive organization and an increasingly complex outline. I have a special memory of Lillehammer: an authentic, almost intimate atmosphere, a true sports celebration. Much has changed, but one thing remains unchanged: the celebration of athletes. Priceless”.
The Olympic race that stayed with you?
«Silver in the special slalom at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games, Japan. A painful memory, a regret that came after the race: in the second heat I could have pushed harder, I had misinterpreted the track. Of course, an Olympic silver remains a wonderful achievement, but with a cool head I kept telling myself: “Wow, I wasted an opportunity.” The gold was there, within reach. The other experiences, however, were all wonderful, starting from my first Olympics, in Albertville, Canada. It arrived almost unexpectedly, a surprise even for me. Then, however, the day after the victory, his knee gave out: in an instant everything vanished. The dream was interrupted and, with it, the Olympic atmosphere, the magic of those days. It was a rude awakening right at the height of the moment.”
What do you like about the 2026 Winter Games?
«The atmosphere. This Olympics is a challenge that goes beyond the time trial, especially for us in Alta Valtellina. In Bormio the event embraces the entire territory with an extraordinary offer. The added value of these Games lies precisely in the “outside the competition”: a calendar full of exhibitions, cultural appointments and events designed to let tourists breathe our deepest identity. It is a unique opportunity to reveal a face of the mountain that is not only made up of athletic performances, but of centuries-old traditions and hospitality. We want anyone who arrives here to discover the history of our valleys and live a complete experience, which combines the emotion of great sport with the charm of our art and our flavours. It is a widespread Olympics, capable of leaving an indelible memory even with the engines off.”
A prediction on medals?
«Never in life! Don’t put additional pressure on the athletes: they already have a lot of pressure. We are here to cheer and everything that comes will be earned. Obviously we hope for many medals. We have many highly rated athletes. We are strong in freestyle, short track, speed skating, biathlon. Let’s not forget the sledders, extraordinary athletes who are perhaps followed less during the year, but in Italy we have a great tradition. Then, obviously, skiing and all the other disciplines. Let’s hope so”.
Deborah, what will you do today?
“I train.”
But she is not among the athletes selected for the Games.
Ride. «I train in the kitchen. I’ll say it again, my challenge today is this: welcoming people and describing Valtellina through its flavours. It’s another way to win and I remain very competitive.”
