Roland Clara
Roland Clara ( born March 8, 1982 in Brunico, South Tyrol ) is an Italian cross country skier.
Life and career
Clara first met at the Junior World Championships in 2002 in Schonach internationally in appearance. Over a distance of 30 km classic, he finished 18th place. In the next few years he started mainly in cross-country skiing Continental. After several podium finishes in the Continental Cup he received at the end of the season 2004/ 05 the possibility in the Cross Country World Cup to start. Immediately on his first start over a distance of 50 km classic, he surprised the world leader and took his first World Cup points in eleventh place. Also in the following competitions, he was also placed in the top thirty. These good results he could not confirm the next Olympic season and placed far outside the World Cup points ranks and thus failed to qualify for the Olympics in his home country itself. Only at the end of the season, improved his form and he won in Oslo about 50 km freestyle tenth place.
In the season 2006/ 07 he was able to qualify with multiple placements in the top thirty for a first major international event. In the Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 in Sapporo, he started in pursuit competition and finished the double victory of the Germans Axel Teichmann and Tobias Angerer the 21th Place. Also in the 2007/ 08 season succeeded Clara more and more to establish itself in the extended world leaders. End of the season in Bormio he won eighth place.
At the Tour de Ski 2010/2011 Clara finished fifth in the overall standings thanks to the second place at the last stage.
2014 he took part in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, won there but no medals.
Clara lives in Reischach near Bruneck.