Alba De Silvestro on Speed, Transitions, and Adapting to Skimo’s Olympic Format Artwork

SKIMO GOLD

The premier podcast and YouTube show for ski mountaineering interviews and analysis. Explore the high-altitude, high-stakes world of skimo as elite athletes prepare for Olympic competition and beyond. From the World Cup podium to the local skintrack, SKIMO GOLD is THE podcast for smooth-gliding, quick-transitioning, lung-burning, kick-turning beta on training, racing, gear, fueling, mindset, and–most importantly–FUN! Join hosts Travis Macy and Cam Smith regularly for novel conversations with the world’s best athletes, coaches, organizers, and skimo aficionados plus just-in-time race analysis. Produced for all podcast players by Palm Tree Pod Co.

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SKIMO GOLD

Alba De Silvestro on Speed, Transitions, and Adapting to Skimo’s Olympic Format

February 15, 2026 • Episode 39

0:00 | 37:27

On today's Olympic Dispatch episode, Italian skimo standout Alba De Silvestro joins Travis Macy for a deep dive into what it really takes to prepare for skimo’s Olympic moment. Racing for Italy since she was just 17, Alba has lived through the evolution of the sport. From long, grueling endurance races to today’s short, explosive sprint and mixed relay formats.

They talk about how training changes when races go from 90 minutes to just a few minutes, why transitions have become one of the biggest performance differentiators in modern skimo, and how marginal gains in gear can decide podium places.

Alba also shares what it’s like racing World Cups across the globe, from dealing with jet lag and altitude in Utah to competing at home in Europe, and what the pressure feels like inside Italy’s incredibly deep skimo team as Olympic spots get decided.

This episode offers a rare, detailed look at how an elite skimo athlete adapts her training, equipment, and mindset for the biggest stage the sport has ever had. Let's go!

Special thanks to TrainingPeaks, DYNAFIT, POMOCA, REVANTA Creatine by NEURORESERVE (use code SKIMOGOLD), and CAMP for sponsoring Skimo Gold's Olympic Dispatch!