Raffaele Nasi

Cross-country skier Raffaele Nasi achieved his first major victory in February 1933 in a 14 km race in Aprica. The following year he finished eighth in the 22 km Giro di Cuneo (Tour of Cuneo). Nasi was not particularly fast but still gained national selection under Finnish coach Vaino Sares in 1935. At the pre-Olympic meeting at Garmisch-Partenkirchen that year, Nasi impressed in the 18km race and was in the Italian relay squad that finished third behind the strong Norwegian and Finnish teams.

Despite not performing well throughout the 1935/36 season, Nasi still got called into the Italian Olympic squad. Unfortunately, the day before the 18 km at Garmisch, the most important of Nasi’s life, he suffered severe back pain. He could not be replaced, so he battled through the pain barrier only to finish 52nd out of 75 starters, almost 20 minutes behind the winner. In the following years, Nasi continued competing, but without any significant results, although he did end his career by taking part in the 1937 World Championships in Chamonix. In a caretaker position, Nasi oversaw the management of the Migliorero Refuge in the Piedmont Alps in the 1960s.