During the meeting, CONI President Giovanni Malagò, Italian Winter Sports Federation President Flavio Roda and Olympic athletes Federica Brignone and Sofia Goggia spoke.
“This is the first time that I have met a winter sports delegation, I am very happy to be able to underline the important role and the value of these sports,” declared the Head of State who received a gift of ski suit: “The suit makes me look younger, thank you for this exhortation,” he joked.
Mattarella then sent “congratulations on the many successes in skiing and all other alpine disciplines this year” and expressed “his appreciation to all the Federation staff who support, enable, help, support the athletes and enable them to perform at great levels of value. “I would like to highlight the great contribution of your disciplines, 11 of them are Olympic – he said again – I have not checked the list of your successes on the web, but in my personal memory your names are associated with a mountain of medals, competitions of all kinds, I thank you on behalf of all our fellow citizens”.
The President's compliments “do not only concern the successes but also the way of achieving them, the behavior, the style of competition, what is hidden behind the successes, behind these minutes of each series, there is a great capacity for sacrifice , training, improvement, the continuous search to exceed one's objectives, this deserves a big thank you because it is extraordinary work from a human and professional point of view.
The Secretary General of the Italian Winter Sports Federation, Loretta Piroia, and athletes representing all disciplines belonging to FISI were present.
