From Lara Colturi to Livio Hiltbrand: Five young alpine skiers to watch in the 2024/25 World Cup season
Olympics.com takes a look at the up-and-coming talents born in the new millennium.
Alpine Skiing
The Gen-Z is set to make a big splash in alpine skiing.
In a sport where experience and maturity are crucial for winning races, several athletes born in the 2000s have been breaking through the ranks and could achieve even more impressive results this season.
As the 2024/25 campaign approaches, Olympics.com highlights five young talents who could become the next Mikaela Shiffrin or Marco Odermatt.
Lara Colturi in action at the 2024 World Cup finals in Saalbach, Austria
Lara Colturi (Albania): Born on 15 November 2006
At just 17, the Italian-born skier is already a mainstay in World Cup racing as she begins her third season in alpine’s top-tier competition. After coming close to becoming the youngest-ever debutant in 2022, the daughter of Salt Lake City 2022 champion Daniela Ceccarelli made 22 starts last season, failing to score points on only seven occasions.
In the 2023/24 campaign, Colturi recovered from a knee injury and managed to break into the top 15 six times, with her best finish being ninth in the Flachau slalom. She also added a fourth junior world medal to her collection, earning bronze in the giant slalom at St. Jean d’Aulps, France.
Zrinka Ljutic is looking for her first World Cup win
Zrinka Ljutic (Croatia): Born on 26 January 2004
The 20-year-old Croatian secured 8th place in last season’s World Cup slalom rankings, earning three second-place finishes. She also showed consistency in giant slalom, with five top-10 performances, including a fourth place in Jasna, Slovakia, last January.
After being voted best rookie at the end of the previous season, Ljutic enters the new campaign with a new ski manufacturer (the same as Shiffrin's) and is chasing her first World Cup victory. 'A girl with big dreams' - as she describes herself on her social platforms, 'Zizi' will aim to reduce her DNFs (six last season) as she continues to follow in the footsteps of her legendary compatriot Janica Kostelic.
Britt Richardson is quickly establishing herself as one of Canada’s top skiers
Britt Richardson (Canada): Born on 25 May 2003
The Canmore, Alberta native is one of the youngest athletes on the Canadian team, yet she’s already used to competing on the World Cup stage.
A junior world champion in giant slalom at St. Jean d’Aulps earlier this year, Richardson has made 22 World Cup starts since her debut in 2022, securing five top-20 finishes last season. Her best result to date is a 14th place finish in Soldeu, Andorra, in February.
Among the career highlights of the Burke Mountain Academy graduate are a second place in the 2022 Nor-Am GS standings and a world team bronze with Canada in the parallel event at Courchevel-Méribel 2023.
Dzenifera Germane (Latvia): Born on 24 March 2003
The 21-year-old Latvian slalom specialist has made a strong impression in her first full World Cup season, after joining the Apex2100 International Ski Academy in Tignes, France in the summer of 2023. She earned points in six of her seven World Cup starts, including three eighth-place finishes. Her first top-ten result came in the night slalom of Flachau, Austria, where she started the first run wearing bib No. 50.
Germane ended the season ranked 19th in the slalom standings and is also the reigning junior world champion in the discipline, winning Latvia's first-ever title in the competition in Avoriaz, France, earlier this February.
Livio Hiltbrand (Switzerland): Born on 27 September 2003
Dubbed the new ‘Beat Feuz,’ the 20-year-old Swiss skier is considered one of the most exciting prospects in men’s skiing. The young speedster has reached the podium four times in the last two junior world championships, winning the Super-G title at St. Anton 2023 and the downhill crown this year in France.
Hiltbrand, who is also an apprentice bricklayer, made his World Cup debut at the 2023 finals in Soldeu, finishing 17th, just two seconds behind the winner and fellow Swissman Odermatt.
This season, the recipient of the Swiss Young Athlete of the Year award will have a fixed World Cup starting place thanks to claiming the downhill title in the European Cup, following two second-place finishes in Santa Caterina, Italy, and a win in Kvitfjell, Norway.