Francesco De Fabiani's third time at the Olympic Games will open with the Skiathlon, he’ll be an expected protagonist in the 15 Km and even more in the Team Sprint paired with Federico Pellegrino, but ready and motivated to give his best in all the formats in which he will take part.
Beijing, China – Feb. 04th 2022 • It is a very excited Francesco De Fabiani who is in China, close to Beijing, the site of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
For Defast this is, in 8 years, the third participation in the Olympics and the emotions are exactly like the first time: «We have been here in China for a few days and as soon as we arrived we immediately felt the Olympic atmosphere. Years go by, experience and habit increase, but the Olympic Spirit is unchanged. Obviously, due to the pandemic, the Olympic village is a little more “muffled”, but being here is, first of all, an honor, in addition to the fulfillment of a dream that comes true for the third time».
Acclimatization was also good from the point of view of knowledge of the competition venues, with some unknowns: «We tested the field and it is by no means trivial: very hard, the flat sections are almost absent and above all we run in high altitude, at 1700 meters, a detail that makes quite the difference».
Cold and slow snow and a demanding and selective course immediately clarified De Fabiani's ideas: «With these conditions, it is important to well recover from the efforts. Yesterday I did some workout and still today my legs are tired, this means that you have to sip your energy and not exaggerate with consecutive efforts. I believe it is necessary to understand day after day at what point the condition is, in order to plan commitments in the short term».
The Skiathlon on February 6 (15 Km C + 15 Km F) will mark the debut of the Alpine of the Centro Sportivo Esercito: «I’m motivated to do well in the first race, the skiathlon indeed, but I would like to specify that the competitions in which I will participate will have for me only one goal: to do well and give 100%. If I were to feel tired after the first race, I will decide accordingly to participate in the following races, precisely in order not to lose the condition which at the moment is very good and seems to me to be as it was at the Tour de Ski».
Not competing since the Tour it becomes difficult, at the moment, to understand the real condition, but the rest of the “group” is more or less in the same situation – «and in any case – adds Francesco – being here means a lot to me. I will enjoy these Games to the fullest and we will see if after the first race I will be at the start of the Sprint in Free Technique, where Italy can dream big with Federico Pellegrino. The 15 Km will be in Classic and with a time trial start, certainly a good card to play if the conditions are right. The Team Sprint, in which we got a Worlds’ bronze in Seefeld 2019, remains for me, the race where technically I can get a medal, which is objectively within our reach. In the relay, on the other hand, the predictions are impossible but given the last one in the world cup we are run for it, the medal is difficult, but everything is possible in the team competition. And then there is the 50 km race, one of the races I love the most, but to say if I will participate is premature, we will see along the way».
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Press Office of Francesco De Fabiani
Written by Paolo Mei
Translated by Nicolò Caneparo
