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Promotion and departure, Lara Koltur's farewell from Albania was no surprise
2025-04-19 16:03:57 / SPORT
Italy tries for Lara Kolturi. The Italian Winter Sports Federation is trying its best to sign the talented 18-year-old skier, who has been naturalized with an Albanian passport since May 2022.
The only obstacle so far remains the Albanian Ski Federation, which must approve Kolturi's departure permit by May 1. The Albanian Federation has confirmed the request submitted by Lara Kolturi to leave Albania, while a meeting between the parties will be held soon, when the formalization is expected to come. Lara closed a season with very good results for Albania, scoring three podiums in the World Cup stages. Although in her first season with adults, she recorded two second places in the giant slalom and a third place in the slalom, to close the ranking eighth in the overall World Cup ranking. Lara is now seeking the green light to have the opportunity to compete for Italy. Now the ball is in the court of the Albanian Ski Federation, because if the request is not accepted by May 1, then Lara will remain part of Albania or may choose to take a break for a season. But taking a year off seems unlikely, given that the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics are just around the corner. So a one-year break would be costly, as it would keep Lara out of the World Cup and also miss the Winter Olympics. For now, the Italian Federation has neither confirmed nor denied Lara Kolturi's approach, while the skier's negotiations with the Albanian Federation continue.
INVESTMENT – Equipped with an Albanian passport in 2022, Lara Kolturi has been one of the most invested and promoted athletes in Albania. Just a few months ago, Erion Veliaj announced the reward from the Municipality of Tirana with 100 thousand euros for Lara. Without forgetting the support from the federation, where the main part of the budget went precisely to Lara Kolturi. Also, Prime Minister Edi Rama invited her to his podcast, echoing and promoting an athlete who is considered one of the most promising talents in the world in alpine skiing.
EXPECTED DEPARTURE? The Albanian Ski Federation's strategy to bring Lara Kolturi closer to the National Team was quickly rewarded with achievements, in a sport where our country has had modest results. Lara stood out with the ages, and later distinguished herself with the adults, but a possible departure from the Red and Black National Team was always in the air. In addition to the constant rumors in the sports community in the country, the words of Lara's mother, Daniela Çekereli, made it clear that Albania for Lara Kolturi would only be something temporary. Former Olympic champion, Çekareli, had explained the choice to represent Albania as follows: "The reasons are technical, in the sense that Lara can continue her skiing journey with her family. This way she will continue to have her family close by, and she will have access to the competitions that we ourselves will choose, without limiting them as happens in other national teams." So, since the Italian Federation's programs were different from what her parents wanted, they chose Kolturi to represent Albania. So in her early teenage years she trained according to her own requirements, choosing the competitions she wanted, although not with the Italian flag, but the Albanian one. So, Lara's departure was not at all a bolt from the blue, but something expected, which perhaps the Albanian Ski Federation itself had planned.
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