The blue team that will participate in the 15th Winter EYOFs, scheduled from 20 to 25 February in Finland, has been finalised, with the competitions split between the resort of Vuokatti and the city of Lahti.

There will be 39 athletes (20 males and 19 females) between the ages of 15 and 19 representing Italy, competing against over 800 peers from 44 nations.The 'Azzurri' will compete in eight of the nine disciplines that will characterise this European Youth Olympic Festival: Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Nordic Combined, Short Track, Ski Jumping and Snowboarding (with Italy not only represented in Ice Hockey).

Compared to the Sarajevo and East Sarajevo 2019 editions, where the 'Azzurri' won 1 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medal, Curling is not on the competition programme, while the Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping, disciplines that will be based in Lahti, make their debut.

Despite their young age, there are many Italians who have already gained international experience: among them is Annika Sieff, the first Italian to conquer a World Cup podium in the Nordic combined and a recent junior world champion who also boasts a silver and bronze medal in her lineup, as well as an Olympic bronze medal in the Nordic relay at the Lausanne 2020 YOG.
Also presenting themselves in Voukatti as reigning world youth champions, with their respective relays, are Fabiana Carpella and Sara Scattolo (Biathlon) and Alessandro Loreggia and Lorenzo Previtali (Short Track). At the same time, the fresh medallists include Christoph Pircher (1 world bronze jr.), Stefano Radovan (1 world silver jr., 1 world bronze YOG) and Iacopo Bortolas (1 silver and 1 world bronze) also competing at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.

Also mentioned are Edoardo Saracco, Olympic bronze medallist in the Slalom at Lausanne 2020, and Margherita Betti, sister of senior national speed skating athlete Francesco and Chiara, winner of the silver medal in the 1,000 m Short Track at the previous Winter EYOFs. (photo EYOF2022 Vuokatti)

This is the complete list of those called up, divided by federation:

ITALIAN WINTER SPORTS FEDERATION (FISI)

Biathlon
Fabiana Carpella, Davide Compagnoni, Nadege Gontel, Alex Perisutti, Mattia Piller Hoffer, Christoph Pircher, Denise Planker, Sara Scattolo.

Nordic Combined
Iacopo Bortolas, Luca Libener, Greta Pinzani, Stefano Radovan, Annika Sieff.

Ski Jumping
Asia Marcato, Martina Zanitzer

Alpine skiing
Maria Sole Antonini, Andrea Bertoldini, Emilia Mondinelli, Stefano Pizzato, Ambra Pomarè, Federico Romele, Edoardo Saracco, Beatrice Sola.

Cross country skiing
Iris De Martin Pinter, Elisa Gallo, Davide Ghio, Lucia Isonni, Nadine Laurent, Hannes Oberhofer, Alex Serafini, Andrea Zorzi.

Snowboard
Edoardo Giovannelli, Ian Matteoli.

ITALIAN ICE SPORTS FEDERATION (FISG)

Figure skating
Ginevra Lavinia Negrello, Raffaele Francesco Zich

Short Track
Margherita Betti, Alessandro Loreggia, Lorenzo Previtali, Viola Simonini.