Cologna started skiing – not Cross-Country but alpine skiing - when he was only 5-years-old...he changed to Cross-Country in 1998 ...He won several national competitions and collected medals before he stepped onto the international platform by participating at the 2004 FIS Nordic Junior World Championships...Two years later already, the 19-year-old won his first international medal at the FIS Nordic Junior World Championships in Kranj, where he finished third over 10 km classic….With a good result in the OPA Continental Cup, Cologna competed in the World Cup a couple of times in the season 2006/2007 and claimed victory in the same season in the 15 km free technique as well as in the Pursuit competition of the U23 World Championships in Tavisio.

Cologna moved to the top ten of the World Cup standings in the season 2007/2008 in Rybinsk, Otepää and Liberec while he finished just off the podium in fourth at the Prologue in the World Cup final stage in Bormio . He completed the season with the third U23 World Champion title in Malles over 30 km free technique.

Cologna stepped onto a World Cup podium for the first time in La Clusaz in December 2008 finishing second over 30 km and taking over the overall lead of the World Cup just a week later as the first Swiss Skier …. Shortly afterwards he won the Tour de Ski… 11 days after his 23rd birthday Dario Cologna made history by winning the overall World Cup ranking being the first Swiss Cross-Country skier who has achieved that. His greatest success yet was the gold medal at the 15 km free technique race in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. In 2011 Cologna could repeat his Tour de Ski victory and captured the overall World Cup win for the second time as well. He was also part of the historical moment for the Swiss Cross-Country team when they won their first ever relay World Cup competition in December 2010 in La Clusaz.

Top Athlete About

… already in his childhood, sport was the greatest thing in Cologna’s life. He competed in several sports including cross running, mountain biking and alpine skiing. He played soccer nearly 10 years in Southern Tyrol, which is just across the border from his home town: “In soccer I was more orientated towards the Italian direction. My favorite club was AC Milan with Paolo Maldini & Co. The big star at that time was George Weah.” Cologna, who has both citizenships – the Swiss and the Italian, played first as a striker and later on as midfield.

…He started with Cross-Country skiing in Switzerland and stayed there. The star from the Val Müstair is a complete skier and top in both techniques. His coolness is his strength. He is not easily stressed.

… Cologna is not only strong as an athlete but he is talented speaking different languages. Besides German he speaks Rhaeto-Romanic mainly with his father and his two Cross-Country colleagues Toni Livers and Curdin Perl while he speaks in his Southern Tryolian dialect with his mother. He uses English and French for interviews and Italian with the Service man Gianluca Marcolini (former service man of Petra Majdic).

… At the age of 16, Cologna went to high school in Ftan which is located in the Engadin . Since his 20th birthday he has been living in Davos. “Even though Davos works for me as a place to live, I will always remain a man from Müstair at heart. I go back home to Tschierv and visit my parents when possible.”

…in middle of July the fan club of Dario Cologna organized the inaugural edition of the “Cologna Day” in his home region. The entire day had activities connected to Cross-Country Skiing, such as a training session for kids with Cologna and a roller ski race with some national team members as well as foreign top athletes. The day concluded with a party in the evening. “The day was awesome and made fun, I am already looking forward to the next edition of the Cologna Day 2012.” said Dario Cologna.

… Website: www.dariocologna.ch