He coached the Italian cross-country ski team and is now a sports executive in the Aosta Valley: “How is it possible that they didn’t take all 141 Italian athletes into account, compared to 10,001 torchbearers? I don’t think Albano was the one who had to fill out the form…”

Marco Albarello was the leader of the Italian cross-country team that dazzled at the 2006 Games with two golds and two bronzes. But he is also one of the forgotten legends brought up by ministers, and thanks to his role as head of sports events for the Aosta Valley Region, on Monday, January 12, he was able to carry the torch alongside the other Italian cross-country skiing heroes.

Albarello, how would you have handled this situation?

“With a special list dedicated to 40 Olympic champions and 141 medalists that would bypass the usual process for non-champions required of others. For me, that’s where the chaos began. A simple pass would have sufficed—just come up with something easy for the ceremonies—and all this controversy could have been avoided. I tried to stop Fauner—I was sick of waiting—but this whole thing started three months ago.”

What do you think happened?

“There were three spots for the municipalities, three for CONI, and those reserved for sponsors. How is it possible that they didn’t take all 141 Italian athletes into account, compared to 10,001 torchbearers? I don’t think Albano had to fill out the form… I spoke with Malagò two months ago, and I spoke with Buonfiglio when I invited him to the CONI Youth Trophy, and he told me, ‘We’re working on it’ regarding the torchbearers; I don’t know if he’d inherited something that was already set in stone. Maybe he thought, “What do I do? What do I choose?” even regarding the Milan-Cortina Foundation. The president of FISI, Roda, called me and admitted, “We should have done something else.” Then I don’t know what happened—I don’t want to blame anyone, but…”.

The medals that should be the highlight of the Olympics have been forgotten

Passing the buck, a blunder, or…?

“There was a lack of sensitivity: the medals that should be the highlight of the Olympics have been forgotten. I’m thinking of Giorgio Di Centa and his two golds. I really hoped, as Piller Cottrer said, to see the gold-medal relay parade at San Siro again after the one in Turin 2006, also to highlight just how great a job the guys had done.”

Cross-country skiing saved those Games for Italy twenty years ago.

“ Well, I was hoping this could be an opportunity to reignite some enthusiasm for us: in 2006, right after that triumphant Olympics, Italy won the World Cup, and what those young athletes had accomplished was immediately forgotten. We’re talking about the second Olympic winter sport. It’s not fair to forget about us.”

Two ministers have come to your defense.

“On January 3, I told Minister Abodi about these mistakes.”

Do you think the controversy will help remedy the situation?

“As of now, everything is at a standstill; I hope so. But we on the 1994 gold-medal relay team knew three months in advance that we’d be participating in the ceremony. There’s a whole ceremonial process to organize.”

Carrying the torch was an incredible feeling—a once-in-a-lifetime experience

How did you feel holding the torch in Aosta?

“An incredible feeling. Vuillermoz and Arianna Follis were with me, and everyone who carried it during those 200 meters told me it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. ‘But they’re rushing us,’ they said. Oh, and Pellegrino was there too—he’d signed up without knowing if he’d be the flag bearer. “I’m getting a head start,” Chicco told me.”

Where will you be watching the Games?

“I have friends with a house in Val di Fiemme, but I don’t have tickets. I think I’ll end up commentating on the races from Milan for Sky…