Ildegarda Taffra

Tarvisio’s Ildegarda Taffra was an Italian cross-country skier. At the age of 17 she competed at the 1952 Oslo Winter Olympics, the first Italian female cross-country skier at the Games, alongside Fides Romanin, another icon of winter sports.

Between 1951 and 1956, Taffra won six consecutive Italian Championships at 10 kilometres. In 1954 she took part in the World Championships, placing sixth in the relay with the Italian team, and was also flagbearer of the Italian team. She also competed at the 1956 Cortina Winter Olympics before ending her competitive career at age 22.

In 1974, Taffra was one of the founders of the Forni di Sopra Ski School, alongside the ski instructors Italo Clerici and Bruno Comis. In 1969 she married the sports journalist Dante Di Ragogna. In 2020 Taffra contracted COVID-19 and died at age 86.