Italian Married Couple Brings Unique Partnership to Olympic Ski Mountaineering Debut

Michele Boscacci and Alba de Silvestro, an Italian married couple, are preparing to compete in ski mountaineering's first-ever Olympic appearance. The duo says their partnership both on and off the slopes helps reduce pressure while creating unique challenges as they balance their relationship with elite competition.

BORMIO, Italy – An Italian husband and wife team believes their unique bond will serve as a competitive advantage when ski mountaineering makes its historic Olympic debut this week.

Michele Boscacci and Alba de Silvestro will represent Italy in Thursday’s sprint competitions and Saturday’s mixed relay event. The married athletes say their shared living, training, and travel experiences have created a pathway to the Olympics while helping manage the intense pressure of elite competition.

“You’re maybe in a single room and you might have a moment to think,” Boscacci explained when describing how their situation differs from other Olympic competitors.

“Instead, this way, we’re together. The tension eases a little, we talk, we try to maintain a bit of a daily routine that we have at home, even though we’re in a hotel and we’re here for the Olympic competitions,” the 36-year-old athlete continued while seated alongside his spouse.

For the couple – Boscacci, 36, and de Silvestro, 30 – ski mountaineering represents far more than athletic competition. The sport forms the cornerstone of their everyday existence. Their relationship began through ski mountaineering, and now they share everything from pre-dawn training routines to competition travel.

During the Olympics, both will participate in individual sprint races and the mixed relay competition, which has been their primary seasonal focus.

De Silvestro recognizes that marriage to a teammate creates both advantages and complications.

“In many ways it’s better, in many ways it complicates things,” she acknowledged. The pair often attempts to avoid discussing racing, only to find themselves returning to the topic before day’s end.

“Ski mountaineering is first and foremost our hobby, which has become our job and is now our life, so it all becomes a bit heavy,” Boscacci noted.

“Many times we say, ‘Come on, enough, let’s not talk about it anymore,’ but it doesn’t last, let’s say, weeks – maybe until the end of the day,” he added.

The Italian team will benefit from substantial family and friend support during the Winter Games. Beyond living just one hour from Bormio, the ski mountaineering venue, Boscacci’s father – who captured gold at the inaugural SkiMo World Championship in 2002 – is assisting with course preparation.

“If we were, say, in China, maybe there you’re a little more isolated from an emotional point of view, and maybe, I’m not saying it’s easier, but maybe you have a little less pressure,” Boscacci reflected on competing in their first Olympics near home.

Despite approaching Olympic pressure, the couple expresses gratitude for experiencing this journey together.

“It’s nice to share these moments, so I’m happy,” de Silvestro concluded.