Biathlon: World Cup comeback for Daniele Cappellari
In the Italian national team, Tommaso Giacomel, Lukas Hofer, Didier Bionaz, Elia Zeni and Patrick Braunhofer were guaranteed to start their 2024/2025 season on the World Cup circuit. As members of the national A team, they earned their ticket on the strength of their results last winter.
That left one place to be filled. Daniele Cappellari, who was selected for the final on-snow training camp in Sjusjøen (Norway), was chosen by the Italian technical staff. Although he will not be officially selected for the World Cup in Kontiolahti (Finland) until the end of the month, via a communication from the FISI, he spoke at length to our colleagues at Fondo Italia.
“I was surprised to find out so early, two days before the closing times of the Ruhpolding training camp [last month, editor’s note], he explains. I was told that they had made this choice because of what they had seen throughout the summer. I’m happy to have earned this place thanks to the continuity of my performances over several months.”
A new mental approach
Absent from the World Cup throughout last winter, 27-year-old Daniele Cappellari is set to return to the most prestigious of circuits in the next few weeks. His return to favour is due to physical progress, but above all to a change of attitude on his part.
“I realised that one of my limitations in the World Cup was that I suffered too much pressure. Pressure I was the first to put on myself, he confides. That’s always been a problem because, by thinking too much about the result, I ended up not being able to repeat my IBU Cup performances. Now, I’m approaching things differently from a mental point of view, and I’m aware that the races are a mirror of what I do in training. I want to see if changing my mental approach will also improve my results. I need to approach things more calmly and concentrate on the job in hand.”
- Dorothea Wierer and the Italian men’s national team head for Sjusjøen
- Forni Avoltri: Lisa Vittozzi wins the Italian summer pursuit title, Daniele Cappellari takes the men’s title
