Big shock for the Italian biathlete Tommaso Giacomel. The 23-year-old suffered a training accident last week in which, thanks to a large portion of luck, he was not seriously injured.
Giacomel informed his fans via his Instagram channel that he was caught doing fitness training on his mountain bike last week and had to take a forced break after a serious fall.
“I fell badly on my mountain bike on Tuesday,” wrote the Italian, who then described the consequences of his violent fall. “Except for my helmet, nothing was broken. Seven stitches on my face and many abrasions on my right shoulder and back,” said the 23-year-old, who posted a picture of his injured face. Two of the stitched wounds on his chin are clearly visible.
Despite his injuries, Giacomel was lucky in the end. “It could have been a lot worse,” he wrote, without going into the details of the accident.
Giacomel the hope of Italian biathletes
Not only Giacomel, but also the Italian coaches should take a deep breath because of the comparatively mild start. The youngster has long been the clear number one in the Azzurri team, which is now understaffed. Last season, the 23-year-old was by far the best Italian in twelfth place in the overall World Cup.
Many experts predict a great future for the two-time medal winner at the World Championships in Oberhof. In the World Cup, he established himself in the extended top group last season. It wasn’t enough to win an individual race, but his second place in the individual race in Östersund and six other top ten finishes fueled hopes in Italy of having a regular winner in their own ranks again in the foreseeable future have.