How Lindsey Vonn earned a pizza in her name in Cortina

Not many people have the honour of having a pizza named after them. Queen Margherita di Savoia had this privilege when the traditional dish was invented in Naples in the 19th century. More than one hundred years later, the names of a few select Olympic champions also appear on the menu of an Italian pizzeria.

The first was U.S. alpine skier Ted Ligety, a gold medallist at Torino 2006 and Sochi 2014. “My roommate in Denver when I was at university was Ted’s coach,” said Francesco Ghedina, who manages the restaurant 'Cinque Torri' in Cortina d’Ampezzo and was a skier himself, winning an NCAA title with the University of Colorado.

“We know each other. And when he was racing the Alta Badia giant slalom with my friend, they would always come here on Thursdays to eat pizza. Once Ted ordered a pizza that was with cherry tomatoes, prosciutto crudo, and stracchino cheese. He ordered it once, then again, then came back and we said, ‘You always order the same pizza, shall we call it the ‘Ted Ligety,’ is that OK?’ ‘No problem.’ And from there, everybody wanted a pizza with their name!”

One of 'Cinque Torri'’s regular customers has been Lindsey Vonn, a record 12-time winner on the Olympia delle Tofane course, who for years has been sneaking into the restaurant after the bib draw to enjoy her favourite pizza. “Lindsey always comes here, every year, and always orders the Margherita pizza,” remembers Francesco.

“Usually at 18.25, before we open, she knocks or goes into the kitchen, we make her a Margherita, she eats it quickly - usually with her dog - so we wait a bit. When we open, she slips out from the kitchen door so nobody can see her. I mean, by now these are unspoken agreements; it’s kind of nice that way.”

Only a pizza could be named after her, but changing the traditional name of a pizza wasn’t simple. “I didn’t want to, then, the day she decided to make her comeback, I thought, ‘I’ll dedicate the pizza to her.’ She deserves it. The pizza is called Pizza Margherita or Lindsey Vonn. After the Olympics, it will be called just Lindsey Vonn, so we can take Queen Margherita off.”

Despite the many requests, only Olympic medallists who are also regular customers can earn a pizza named after them. “Stefania Costantini, Olympic gold medallist in curling, we dedicated a pizza to her because she deserves it, she’s a local from Cortina and a regular customer.”

The Home of Skiers

'Cinque Torri' has become an institution for Alpine skiers over the last 30 years. “I’d say I call this restaurant the Home of Skiers,” the restaurant manager said. His cousin Kristian is a five-time Olympian and one of the few Italians to win the iconic Kitzbühel downhill race. Francesco is also working for the team that organises the World Cup Cortina events each year.

“We opened in the same year, 1993, when the World Cup returned to Cortina. It’s become a bit of a meeting place for everyone, partly because it’s Kristian Ghedina’s place, partly because I work on the slopes myself,” explained Francesco.

“Over the years we’ve seen so many champions come through here: from the days when Picabo Street was winning, to Isolde Kostner, Renate Götschl, Maria Riesch, Lindsey Vonn, and now Sofia Goggia. Basically, almost everyone has passed through here at least once. And over these thirty years, we’ve built a name for ourselves. It’s a place where you really breathe skiing.”

The interior walls are covered with signed bibs that belonged to his cousin or to skiers who came to eat there, including Olympic and world gold medallists Mikaela Shiffrin and Marco Odermatt. “We started decorating the restaurant with bibs that had special significance,” said Francesco, pointing to bib No. 5 worn by Italian skier Goggia when she won gold in PyeongChang 2018. “It belongs to Sofia’s coach, who is from Cortina. Sofia gave it to him when she won the Olympics because he was her coach, and in the meantime, I’ve hung it up here, no one has said anything, so I’m keeping it!” he added with a cheeky smile.

A painting depicting the historic aerial split performed by Kristian Ghedina at 130-140 km/h in Kitzbühel takes centre stage. “We hung it up because, well, it’s skiing, it’s part of the history of the sport, and I’m happy to keep it,” he added. Francesco made a bet with his cousin, challenging him to attempt the bold move. He lost and settled the bet by paying Kristian with a beer and a pizza.

During the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, starting officially on 6 February, 'Cinque Torri' - which hosted Casa Italia during the Alpine Skiing World Championships in 2021 - won’t be able to serve Lindsey Vonn her favourite pizza. Instead, it will become a space called ‘Clubhouse26’, where ticket holders will enjoy a typical Italian aperitivo as part of the hospitality packages offered by IOC official partner On Location.

Francesco recently witnessed the torch relay stop in Cortina and for him the Olympics will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “As an athlete, an Olympic medal was the dream, I like it because it also gives importance to smaller sports, which are usually overshadowed by football or widely followed sports. So, it’s definitely going to be exciting.”

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