After a gold medal at the Olympics in Salt Lake City, Gabriella Paruzzi has won her first Crystal Cup for cross-country skiing, reaching the highest point in a continuously top-level career.

“I’m so happy”, said Gabriella, with tears in her eyes. “This is a fitting reward for me and for the whole team, from technicians to coaches, skimen and team-mates”.

Throughout the season, Gabriella wore Ekynox™ Technically Cool Eyewear which Rudy Project designed specifically for XC skiing. A hypo-allergenic Grillamid™ frame, adjustable nose pads and temples, quick-fit elastic strap grips and special anti-fogging lenses enabled the Italian champion skier to utilise the ultimate in sports eyewear technology.

“I want to thank everyone at Rudy. They’ve always been a support and help to me in the most challenging events throughout this long season,” she continued. “I had the choice of an amazing number of different lenses for every kind of light, and my glasses always fitted comfortably in any situation”.

As far as the men’s event was concerned, Rudy Project won virtually everything there was to win - the World Cup with German skier René Sommerfeldt, second place with the Swedish athlete Mathias Fredriksson, fourth and fifth with the Germans Tobias Angerer and Axel Teichmann.

Of the top five, as many as four skiers wore Rudy Project Technically Cool Eyewear.

There was naturally a feeling of high excitement among the staff at Rudy Project; these very gratifying results repay all the investments and researches in Nordic skiing carried out over the past few years in collaboration with the Ski Pools of Italy, Germany, Norway and Sweden.