One of alpine skiing’s longest-standing couples have tied the knot after dating for 12 years. Swiss Olympic champion Michelle Gisin and Italian giant slalom specialist Luca De Aliprandini were married on June 20 at Lake Garda in northern Italy. The pair started dating in 2014 and got engaged in June 2024 at Lake Garda, where the couple have been living since 2018.
The wedding comes after what was arguably the most difficult year of their relationship. In December 2025, Gisin suffered a horrific crash during downhill training in St. Moritz, Switzerland, that left the skier requiring several surgeries, including a cervical spine surgery, knee, and hand surgery. This put her career — and far more importantly, her health — in jeopardy, and forced the 32-year-old to miss the 2026 Olympic Games. Gisin is an all-rounder, meaning she competes in both tech and speed disciplines. She has podiumed in all four key disciplines and has won Olympic gold in 2018 and 2022 in Alpine combined (prior to 2026, Alpine combined was an individual event). De Aliprandini is a giant slalom specialist, who will occasionally also compete in super-G. The 35-year-old from Trentino won silver in giant slalom at the 2021 World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and has represented Italy at four Winter Olympics. The couple met in 2014 in Ushuaia, Argentina, during a summer training camp.
Since her crash, Gisin has focused almost entirely on rehabilitation. Speaking on the red carpet at the Swiss Sports Awards in May, she said she is making “slow but steady progress” and is feeling better all the time. The complexity of recovering from multiple injuries has made the process challenging, with some activities returning quickly while others remain difficult. “There are things that go really well,” Gisin explained. “I was able to cross-country ski again very soon. Hiking up the mountain on touring skis also works very well.” Cycling, however, remains a challenge due to lingering issues involving her wrist, shoulder, and neck. Despite the setbacks, Gisin revealed she has already been back on snow. “I’ve already been able to make a few turns and it was wonderful,” she said.
While her future remains undecided, retirement is not currently on Gisin’s mind. “As long as I don’t say otherwise, I’m an active skier,” she said. “My big goal is to get back on the snow.” The Swiss star hopes to begin more serious ski training during July and August before making a final decision in the autumn about whether to return to World Cup racing for the 2026-27 season. “The first goal now is to be fully fit in the summer,” Gisin explained. “Then I want to decide on the skis in proper training and not just slide around a bit. When I’m fully fit again, I can decide: Do I still want to? And the other question: Can I still?” For now, she says, the focus remains simple: getting healthy again.
According to Italian media, the newlyweds are planning a honeymoon in London, England, where they intend to attend Wimbledon before turning their attention back to preparations for the 2026-27 World Cup season.
Congratulations to Michelle and Luca from all of us at SnowBrains.
