Beijing Olympics, Pellegrino: ‘To beat Klaebo I have to be perfect’

From our correspondent Paolo Marabini

February 8
– Beijing (China)

A day long eight years. Chicco Pellegrino built it brick after brick, also passing by some disappointments, but above all by many victories, from heavy medals, on all the world gold of Lahti 2017 and the Olympic silver of four years ago. It is the day of the sprint race – the 100 meters of cross-country skiing – in the cold of Zhangjiakou. Qualifications at 9.50 am Italian time, eventual final triptych from 11.55 am, with the final act at 13 o’clock. Forbidden to get distracted, maybe he will not even watch the race of his wife, Greta Laurent, for which the medal will be reaching the final.

The wait

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The sprint is his home. In skating, then, Chicco finds himself with his eyes closed. So well that, in addition to the world title, in the specialty he already has 11 World Cup victories and two crystal balls in his pocket. “I worked hard and I’m ready – says the blue leader of narrow skis on the eve of the most important day of his life as an athlete -. My head is on this race from PyeongChang. Indeed, even earlier, from the day of my Olympic debut in Sochi, in 2014. I was 23, I was still trying to understand my size: I stopped at the semifinal, after having set an excellent time in qualifying. I knew that, due to the alternation of technique, my moment would hardly come four years later, with the race in alternating pace. And in fact, I was discouraged: waiting eight years was a rock. And yet I got on the podium in Korea anyway “. Silver behind that budding phenomenon of Johannes Klaebo, who will be there again today, still with the number 1 favorite, but crumpled by the sensational crisis on Sunday in the skiathlon, he who had to do it in one gulp, or almost, and instead l ‘he closed for signing honor in 40th place, more than 9’ behind the Russian Bolshunov. “I arrive at this appointment at the age of full maturity, as a man and as an athlete – continues Chicco -. Hattestad, in Sochi, won at almost 32, my age. Cross-country skiing is sport for experienced people. Let’s forget about Klaebo, that’s an exception. Johannes invincible? He is only 25 years old, he is already the most successful in history in the World Cup. But no, he is not invincible. Of course he remains the number one favorite, but I know I can do it: I have already managed to get in front of him. How can you beat him? I have to be perfect from the first to the last meter, very attentive, concentrated in every moment, ready to pick up any of his possible errors, his uncertainties, even the slightest flaw. And just caught playing the surprise effect. I’m certainly not starting to finish second “.

The cartridges

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In his work as a cross-country ski champion, Chicco is a perfectionist, almost obsessive by his own admission. He leaves nothing to chance and so he did also in this approach to the third Olympics, the most important of him. He knows he has only two cartridges to fire: this one and then the sprint team with Francesco De Fabiani. “How did I plan eight years of approaching this day? Simple, by setting myself many intermediate micro objectives. I think by step and then I leave. You lose, win, analyze, correct, change. The fund is continuous evolution “. This year then he got back into the game, changing a lot. With the “different twin” De Fabiani went to train with rival Sergey Ustiugov and other Russians in the group led by German coach Markus Cramer. “An important experience, regardless of what my final result will be. It has enriched me, I hope it has made me even stronger. It was my choice. And I have always taken responsibility for my decisions. My parents taught me that ”. “The gold medal – concludes the policeman from Valle d’Aosta – is not an obsession. If anything, the obsession is not making mistakes. I like the track, even if the wind is unknown. Cold will also be a factor. But I prepared myself to be able to manage every little detail. The important thing is to finish without regrets ”.