The end is set for February 22, 2026! And this date was not chosen randomly by Federico Pellegrino. On this day, the now 33-year-old Italian from the Aosta Valley will end his career at the Olympic Stadium in Lago di Tesero in Val di Fiemme. A career that will have spanned 17 years at the elite level.

“In February 2009, I participated in my first world-class race: the Junior World Championships in Praz-de-Lys Sommand (FRA). I was a young, carefree cross-country skier letting life glide by, still not understanding my place in the world or what I wanted to do ‘when I grew up,’” Pellegrino writes on his Instagram.

“My passion for skiing and competition was already strong: gliding breathlessly on the snow was one of the feelings I enjoyed the most, and I fulfilled my desire to compete and try to excel.”

Federico Pellegrino writes that he could never have imagined the life and career he has had over the following 15 years.

His greatest day came in Lahti in 2017 when he finally stood atop the podium after a sprint at the World Championships. But he also won silver at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing in 2022. He has been consistently present for over ten years, resulting in two overall victories in the sprint World Cup (2016 and 2021). In total, he has won 21 times in the World Cup.

I have interviewed Pellegrino many times, and during the Toppidrettsveka in Trondheim last year, he was my co-speaker while he was injured. He is a very pleasant and serious athlete who has always followed the rules of the game and been an inspiration to others.

Last year, he became a father when he and former national teammate Greta Laurent had their first child. A new life awaits him as a husband, father, and “a completely ordinary Italian.”

But first, two important goals remain:

• A World Championships medal in Trondheim 2025
• An Olympic medal on home soil in 2026

And so, on February 22, 2026, it will be over!

Are you interested in traditional cross-country skiing? Click HERE and read more about it.