Renzo Chiocchetti

Renzo Chiocchetti was an Italian cross-country skier born into a large family, one of 11 children. He started skiing at the age of 14 and immediately started to win events with the club Monti Pallidi. He joined G.S. Fiamme Gialle at 19, and was a member of the relay team that included the “big two” of the day, Franco Nones and Giulio De Florian. Overall, Chiocchetti won nine Italian titles, the 15 km (1969, 1975), 30 km (1975, 1979) and five relay titles between 1967 and 1980). Having been a substitute for the 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics, Chiocchetti participated in 1972 and 1976.

Chiocchetti was a member of the national team from 1965-76, and left in a controversial manner following the Innsbruck Olympics. He went off first in the relay and his time was bettered by 14 of the 15 other teams; only a Turkish competitor was slower than him. Although Italy finished seventh, Chiocchetti’s disastrous opening leg cost the Italians a podium finish, and possibly gold.

In 1979 Chiocchetti won the 30 km at the Italian championships. He quit the sport competitively at the age of 40 to embark on a successful business career with his wife Giuliana Zeni, running the Hotel Piedibosco at Moena, overlooking the starting point of the “Marcialonga”.