On the occasion of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, we are revisiting the Grenoble 1968 edition by publishing, in their entirety, some of the memorable articles written by Gianni Clerici during the same days they originally appeared in the columns of Il Giorno. We begin with the historic gold medal won by Franco Nones from Trentino in cross-country skiing, as recounted in the article from February 8th:

The success of Nones and the fifth-place finish of De Florian—are they truly so unexpected? Should they be considered a surprise, with a significant element of luck? We can confidently answer no. The natural qualities of Nones and De Florian would not have been enough without the teamwork that Strumolo, the chairman of the Nordic disciplines, has been leading for years with a passion equal to the professionalism of a dedicated amateur.

Strumolo completely restructured a discipline that was once the domain of simple mountain men—admirable but ill-equipped. He found a formidable technical director and leader in Nilson, along with a group of excellent specialists, including Rodeghiero. He relied on the organization of the armed forces and shared his passion for cross-country skiing with a pioneering sports doctor like Angiolino Quarenghi.

trumolo’s work demonstrates that, even without a broad base, much can be achieved at a competitive level by selecting the best and applying methods that are often ignored in Italy due to a lack of culture and to arrogance. Franco Nones said today, regarding the total training he has been undergoing for a year: “For me, rest days are just festive training sessions.”

This statement is as witty as it is true. It makes one think back to the times when the old Italian cross-country skiers, though blessed with excellent natural qualities, knew no sport other than cross-country skiing; they didn’t know how to nourish themselves properly, and they would weep to return to their mothers and wives after being away for just a week. Now, our men play tennis and swim, they follow nutritional diets, and they spend months in the North, feeling perfectly at home and chatting in the language of their hosts.

The Strumolo organization is truly a model that other sports could copy without shame. One can only hope that, on such a momentous occasion, President Onesti—today an enthusiastic spectator and later Nones’ host—takes note of it.