Biathlon : “Life is so much more than biathlon, especially when I miss someone so close to me”, says Tommaso Giacomel
Some victories are more than just sporting achievements. On Thursday, Italy’s Tommaso Giacomel (9/10) won the sprint inOberhof (Germany), his second consecutive success after his victory in the mass-start in Le Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie). But behind this performance was above all a poignant tribute to his friend Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who tragically passed away on December 23.
“It’s one of the most ambivalent days of my life: one of the saddest and one of the most beautiful from a sporting point of view. There are a lot of mixed feelings. I think Sivert would be very proud of me,” Tommaso Giacomel told the IBU.
After the heartfelt tribute paid to the late Norwegian, the Italian, who started with number 62, had to regain his concentration before the start. “I tried to get back into race mode and not think about it. But in the last loop, the coach said to me: ‘Do it for yourself, but also for him’. That gave me something extra,” he says, his voice full of emotion.
The Italian also described the strangeness of his victory to La Chaîne l’ Equipe: “ It’s a strange feeling. I’m not feeling the joy of victory at the moment. It’s strange to be doing biathlon in this context. I have to do my best because biathlon is my job. But life is so much more than biathlon, especially when I miss someone so close to me.”
He continues: “ At the moment, I’m not concentrating on sport. I’m trying to stay as relaxed as possible, but it’s difficult. I’ll never forget it.”
On the track, gestures sometimes speak louder than words: pointing his index finger skywards and raising his eyes to infinity as he crossed the finish line, Tommaso Giacomel paid the finest possible tribute to his friend Sivert Guttorm Bakken. In the finish area, Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, third in the sprint, shared the emotion of the moment with a warm embrace.
Read also
- Biathlon | Oberhof: Tommaso Giacomel dominates the sprint ahead of Philipp Nawrath and Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, flowers for Eric Perrot
- Biathlon | Oberhof: a moving tribute to Sivert Guttorm Bakken
- Biathlon | Disappearance of Sivert Guttorm Bakken: poignant testimonies from Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold and Tommaso Giacomel
