Skiing with stars: Cross-country trail in the Dolomites offers rare chance to ski with Olympians

ZIANO DI FIEMME, Italy (AP) — Emma Wilson had barely clipped into cross-country ski bindings for the first time in her life when an Olympic athlete breezed past.

She knew it would be a day she would never forget.

“When we saw the first one we were like, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s an Olympian! It’s an Olympian!’” Wilson said. 

On a stretch of the famed Marcialonga track, cross-country skiing fans, amateur athletes and even beginners have been thrilled to find they are sharing the public trail with the best skiers in the world. Olympians are using the track to train, warm up or travel between the Olympic Village in Predazzo and the cross-country ski stadium in Tesero.

The 70-kilometer (40-mile) trail known for its annual ski marathon runs through Val di Fiemme, home to cross-country skiing, Nordic combined and ski jumping events that are spread across a swath of northern Italy at the Milan Cortina Games.

The trail along the tumbling Avisio River offers views of the extraordinary and ordinary beneath the steeple-like Dolomites.

Snowcapped peaks rise into the clouds, skis slicing through snow drown out the rushing river while skiers pass lumber yards and aromatic dairy farms that bring an authentic charm to a region that still thrives on ancient industry.

Stjepan Balog, a Croatian sports journalist who has covered Olympics and World Cup competitions from the sidelines, had set out to give the sport a try and get some fresh air and was surprised to practically be on the field of play with athletes.

“It’s a really amazing experience because I never in my life had this honor,” Balog said. “Now I can see what real sportsmen are and what really cross-country skiing is when I compare my skills and their skills.”

It would be like showing up to kick the soccer ball around with a few friends and finding Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the pitch.

The Olympians — identifiable by their national garb or wearing vests with the Olympic rings that say “athlete” — blaze past at a conversational pace with teammates or competitors. U.S. star Rosie Brennan, who just missed the podium in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, was among the better known of those seen on the trail.

Matt Smith, a South African in his first Olympics, has basked in the warm welcome he’s received, even if requests for photos and autographs have interrupted the rhythm of his warmups and cooldowns.

“I’m very grateful. I get stopped, I’m signing signatures,” he said. “I feel like (Johannes Hoesflot) Klaebo. It feels like a rock star really.”

Smith said that too often skiers pass each other without giving much thought to one another. 

“It’s nice that the culture is to meet and greet as you go,” he said, shouting “buongiorno” and “ciao” to a passing skier.

Lena Furehed of Sweden, who has skied the Marcialonga race 12 times, said she was inspired by the flawless form of the pros, whom she has cheered on as they passed her.

“I said to my daughter, ‘Look and watch and try to do as they do,’” she said. 

Cross-country skiing is an easy sport to pick up but takes time to master. The coordination and balance required can make for some ungraceful moments.

Wilson and three Australian friends who decided to try the sport between watching competitions found their lighthearted jaunt quickly turned to an effort to stay upright, avoid a collision with an athlete and not embarrass themselves too much.

Only one of them had skied before and by the first hill, Wilson was on her butt and Hannah McAdam was on her knees and they were all engulfed in giggles. Even the trio of Olympians who effortlessly glided past had a laugh.

The Aussies agreed it was the highlight of their day.

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics