Dario Cologna (born 11 March 1986) is a Swiss retired cross-country skier. He has four overall World Cup victories, four Olympic gold medals, one World Championships gold medal and four Tour de Ski victories in his career.
On 3 November 2021, he announced his retirement from cross-country skiing following the 2021–2022 season.
Early life Cologna is a native Rumantsch speaker. He was born in Santa Maria Val Müstair, in the Lower Engadine, to Italian parents. His father Remo is from Val di Non in Trentino, while his mother Christine is from Stelvio/Stilfs in South Tyrol.
He holds both Italian and Swiss citizenship.
He is the older brother of Swiss skier Gianluca Cologna.
Career Early career and the breakthrough 2008–09 season In 2006, Dario Cologna won a bronze medal at the 10 km classic event in the Junior World Championships in Kranj, Slovenia. Cologna debuted in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Kuusamo in November 2006 and took his first points in Falun in March 2007. During the 2007–08 season, Cologna finished in the top ten four times and placed 37th overall.
In December 2008, Cologna took his first World Cup podium finish with second place in the 30-kilometre competition in La Clusaz. On 27 December, he won his first World Cup race as he finished first on the 15 km classic pursuit on stage two of the 2008–09 Tour de Ski. He went on to win the Tour in January 2009, finishing the final event almost a minute ahead of runner-up Petter Northug. Cologna also won the overall 2008–09 World Cup with more than 100 points in front of the runner-up after placing first twice and another three times on the podium.
2010 and 2014 Olympics He finished the 2009–10 FIS Cross-Country World Cup fourth, winning a race and taking two other podiums. He also came in third in the 2009–10 Tour de Ski. In the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, he won the gold medal in the men's 15km freestyle event. Cologna is the first Swiss to win a cross-country skiing gold medal at the Winter Olympics.
Cologna won the 2010–11 FIS Cross-Country World Cup with more than 300 points ahead of Petter Northug, who came second. This season he won four races and took six other podiums, winning the 2010–11 Tour de Ski with 27 seconds ahead of Northug.
During the 2011–12 FIS Cross-Country World Cup season, Cologna won eight races and took twelve additional podium positions; his 20 podiums are, as of the 2018–19 season, still a record for most podiums in a season. On 8 January 2012, Cologna took his third Tour de Ski overall win in Val di Fiemme, winning the 2011–12 Tour de Ski. He finished more than a minute ahead of everyone else, with Marcus Hellner being second and Petter Northug third. With this performance, Cologna won his third Tour de Ski overall win, being the only male athlete ever to have done so. He also snatched the yellow jersey becoming world no. 1 in the 2011–12 FIS Cross-Country World Cup as of 8 January 2012.
At the World Championships 2013 in Val di Fiemme Cologna won the 30 km pursuit.
He won the 30 km skiathlon at the Sochi Olympics. Later in the games he successfully defended his title from the Vancouver Olympics in the 15 km race, this time in classic technique.
2017–18 season: Fourth Tour de Ski and third consecutive Olympic 15 km Cologna won his fourth Tour de Ski title by winning the 2017–18 edition. He won two of the six stages of the Tour, both in Lenzerheide, and won the overall standings with a margin of one minute and 26.5 seconds to second-placed Martin Johnsrud Sundby. With 4 Tour de Ski wins, he is second only to Johannes Klaebo in total number of wins for men. At the PyeongChang Olympics, Cologna won the 15 kilometre freestyle. He became the first cross-country skier to win three consecutive 15 km Olympic events. On 10 March 2018, he became the first Swiss to win the prestigious Holmenkollen 50 km.
He was awarded the Holmenkollen Medal in 2021.
Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games 4 medals – (4 gold)
Year Age 15 km individual 30 km skiathlon 50 km mass start Sprint 4 × 10 km relay Team sprint 2010 23 Gold 13 10 — 10 11 2014 27 Gold Gold 25 26 — 5 2018 31 Gold 6 9 — 11 11 2022 35 44 — 14 — 7 — Distance reduced to 30 km due to weather conditions.
World Championships 3 medals – (1 gold, 2 silver) Year Age 15 km individual 30 km skiathlon 50 km mass start Sprint 4 × 10 km relay Team sprint 2009 22 6 41 — 4 7 — 2011 24 25 24 20 9 9 — 2013 26 8 Gold Silver — 6 — 2015 28 18 Silver 6 — 5 — 2017 30 — — 7 — 4 — 2019 32 6 14 7 — 8 — 2021 34 13 10 9 — 5 —
World Cup Season titles 8 titles – (4 overall, 4 distance) SeasonDiscipline2009 Overall2011 OverallDistance2012 OverallDistance2015 OverallDistance2018 Distance
Season standings Season Age Discipline standingsSki Tour standingsOverallDistanceSprintNordicOpeningTour deSkiSki Tour2020World CupFinalSki TourCanada 2007 21 145 94 — — 2008 22 37 35 37 30 40 2009 23 9 2010 24 4 4 13 8 2011 25 12 2012 26 6 2013 27 9 4 5 2014 28 67 41 — — — 2015 29 46 8 4 2016 30 23 20 42 13 — 2017 31 7 9 54 26 5 2018 32 38 17 2019 33 23 19 69 10 12 2020 34 10 9 89 7 10 2021 35 11 9 46 30 8 2022 36 58 32
Individual podiums
26 victories – (15 , 11 ) 73 podiums – (40 , 33 )
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place1 2008–09 6 December 2008 La Clusaz, France 30 km Mass Start F World Cup 2nd2 27 December 2008 Oberhof, Germany 3.75 km Individual F Stage World Cup 2nd3 28 December 2008 15 km Pursuit CStage World Cup 1st4 27 December 2008 – 4 January 2009 Tour de Ski Overall StandingsWorld Cup 1st5 20 March 2009 Falun, Sweden 3.3 km Individual F Stage World Cup 2nd6 21 March 2009 10 km + 10 km Pursuit C/FStage World Cup 1st7 18–22 March 2009 World Cup Final Overall StandingsWorld Cup 1st8 2009–10 6 January 2010 Cortina-Toblach, Italy 35 km Pursuit FStage World Cup 2nd9 1–10 January 2010 Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 3rd10 5 February 2010 Canmore, Canada 15 km Individual F World Cup 3rd11 6 February 2010 1.7 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd12 19 March 2010 Falun, Sweden 3.3 km Individual CStage World Cup 1st13 2010–11 20 November 2010 Gällivare, Sweden 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd14 27 November 2010 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km Individual C Stage World Cup 1st15 26–28 November 2010 Nordic Opening Overall Standings World Cup 2nd16 12 December 2010 Davos, Switzerland 1.4 km Sprint F World Cup 3rd17 1 January 2011 Oberhof, Germany 15 km Pursuit CStage World Cup 1st18 2 January 2011 Oberstdorf, Germany 1.2 km Sprint C Stage World Cup 3rd19 3 January 2011 10 km + 10 km Pursuit C/F Stage World Cup 2nd20 5 January 2011 Toblach, Italy 1.3 km Sprint F Stage World Cup 2nd21 6 January 2011 Cortina-Toblach, Italy 35 km Pursuit FStage World Cup 1st22 8 January 2011 Val di Fiemme, Italy 20 km Mass Start C Stage World Cup 2nd23 31 December 2010 – 9 January 2011 Tour de Ski Overall StandingsWorld Cup 1st24 12 March 2011 Lahti, Finland 10 km + 10 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup 1st25 16–20 March 2011 World Cup Final Overall Standings World Cup 3rd26 2011–12 25–27 November 2011 Nordic Opening Overall Standings World Cup 2nd27 17 December 2011 Rogla, Slovenia 15 km Mass Start C World Cup 2nd28 18 December 2011 1.2 km Sprint FWorld Cup 1st29 29 December 2011 Oberhof, Germany 3.75 km Individual F Stage World Cup 2nd30 30 December 2011 15 km Pursuit C Stage World Cup 3rd31 1 January 2012 Oberstdorf, Germany 10 km + 10 km Skiathlon C/F Stage World Cup 2nd32 2 January 2012 Toblach, Italy 5 km Individual C Stage World Cup 3rd33 4 January 2012 1.3 km Sprint F Stage World Cup 3rd34 5 January 2011 Cortina-Toblach, Italy 35 km Pursuit FStage World Cup 1st35 7 January 2012 Val di Fiemme, Italy 20 km Mass Start C Stage World Cup 3rd36 29 December 2011 – 8 January 2012 Tour de Ski Overall StandingsWorld Cup 1st37 21 January 2012 Otepää, Estonia 1.4 km Sprint CWorld Cup 1st38 22 January 2012 15 km Individual CWorld Cup 1st39 11 January 2012 Nové Město, Czech Republic 30 km Mass Start C World Cup 2nd40 18 January 2012 Szklarska Poręba, Poland 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd41 3 March 2012 Lahti, Finland 15 km + 15 km Skiathlon C/FWorld Cup 1st42 10 March 2012 Oslo, Norway 50 km Mass Start C World Cup 2nd43 16 March 2012 Falun, Sweden 3.3 km Individual F Stage World Cup 2nd44 17 March 2012 15 km Mass Start CStage World Cup 1st45 14–18 March 2012 World Cup Final Overall StandingsWorld Cup 1st46 2012–13 2 December 2012 Rukatunturi, Finland 15 km Pursuit C Stage World Cup 2nd47 3 January 2013 Cortina-Toblach, Italy 35 km Pursuit F Stage World Cup 3rd48 3 January 2013 5 km Individual C Stage World Cup 3rd49 29 December 2012 – 6 January 2013 Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 2nd50 19 January 2013 La Clusaz, France 15 km Mass Start C World Cup 3rd51 1 February 2013 Sochi, Russia 1.8 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd52 2 February 2013 15 km + 15 km Skiathlon C/FWorld Cup 1st53 16 February 2013 Davos, Switzerland 1.5 km Sprint C World Cup 2nd54 17 February 2013 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd55 2013–14 1 February 2014 Toblach, Italy 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd56 2014–15 13 December 2014 Davos, Switzerland 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd57 3 January 2015 Oberstdorf, Germany 4 km Individual FStage World Cup 1st58 10 January 2015 Val di Fiemme, Italy 15 km Mass Start C Stage World Cup 3rd59 23 January 2015 Rybinsk, Russia 15 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st60 1 February 2015 15 km + 15 km Skiathlon C/F World Cup 2nd61 14 March 2015 Oslo, Norway 50 km Mass Start F World Cup 2nd62 2015–16 28 November 2015 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km Individual F Stage World Cup 3rd63 6 January 2016 Oberstdorf, Germany 15 km Mass Start C Stage World Cup 2nd64 2016–17 3 January 2017 Oberstdorf, Germany 10 km + 10 km Skiathlon C/F Stage World Cup 3rd65 31 December 2016 – 8 January 2017 Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 3rd66 2017–18 31 December 2017 Lenzerheide, Switzerland 15 km Individual CStage World Cup 1st67 1 January 2018 15 km Pursuit FStage World Cup 1st68 30 December 2017 – 7 January 2018 Tour de Ski Overall StandingsWorld Cup 1st69 28 January 2018 Seefeld, Austria 15 km Mass Start FWorld Cup 1st70 10 March 2018 Oslo, Norway 50 km Mass Start FWorld Cup 1st71 16–18 March 2018 World Cup Final Overall Standings World Cup 3rd72 2019–20 15 December 2019 Davos, Switzerland 15 km Individual F World Cup 3rd73 2020–21 2 January 2021 Val Müstair, Switzerland 15 km Mass Start C Stage World Cup 2nd
Team podiums 1 victory – (1 ) 2 podiums – (2 ) No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammates1 2010–11 19 December 2010 La Clusaz, France 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Livers / Fischer / Perl2 2019–20 1 March 2020 Lahti, Finland 4 × 7.5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Klee / Rüesch / Furger
References
External links
Dario Cologna at the Swiss Olympic Association