After Arianna Follis who ended professional Cross-Country racing career after last season another Italian skier hung up her Cross-Country boots. Marianna Longa announced retirement from the World Cup racing in these days.
Thirty-two years old Longa from Livigno made her World Cup debut in 2000 in Bormio. From February 2005 Longa took a break to look after her son Michele and returned to World Cup circuit in the 2006/07 season. In autumn 2007 Longa surprisingly announced retirement from racing due to personal reasons. However, almost a year later after her last race she was back in the Italian team and produced a sucessful comeback at the World Cup in Lahti.
Longa kept the winning momentum also in the folowing season and at the pre-Olympics World Cup in Vancouver 2009 she scored her first podium taking second place in 15 km Pursuit. One month later Longa claimed silver medal at the World Championships in Liberec over 10 km Classic. Olympic season 2009/10 did not find Longa in the best shape and the Italian skier left Vancouver without a medal.
In the season 2010/11 Longa delivered strong performance in the Tour de Ski and claimed third place overall. At the Wolrd Championships in Oslo Longa did not score a medal but showed decent skiing with three individual and two team top ten results.
You can find more information about Marianna Longa HERE.
