Sisto Scilligo

Sisto Michele Scilligo was an Italian Alpine soldier and skier and served at the mountain Warfare School of the Italian Army, which was founded in 1934. In 1931 he finished second in the 18 km cross-country ski event at the Italian championship. Two years later he finished fifth in the 4x10 km relay event of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships along with teammates Francesco Dezulian, Andrea Vuerich and Severino Menardi.

Scilligo was selected as one of the four Italian athletes (from seven) to compete in the Military Ski Patrol demonstration sport at the 1936 Winter Olympics, along with Enrico Silvestri, Luigi Perenni and Stefano Sertorelli and they went on to win the gold medal ahead of the two Nordic teams, Finland and Sweden, by just 14 seconds.

The Italian victory was celebrated across Italy and Benito Mussolini presented each participant with 30,000 lira to commemorate Italy winning its first Nordic skiing Olympic gold medal. Scilligo received a one grade promotion and returned to his job at the Army warfare school.