The Ukrainian biathlon star Vitalii Mandzyn looks back on a promising debut season with the ski hunters. The 22-year-old almost ended up in the top 30. But the efforts also have a price, as Mandzyn has now revealed.
31st place in the overall ranking, one place better would have been possible if he hadn’t had to cancel the last pursuit of the season due to illness, plus a fourth place in the first individual and a World Cup podium in the relay: biathlete Vitalii Mandzyn has already experienced a lot in his first year in the World Cup circus.
But the sporting success in the debut season also had its price, as the Ukrainian revealed to “biathlonworld.com”.
“You give up a lot: freedom, free time, time with the family. Your life is scheduled all year round: camps, trips, competitions. Sometimes a week at home feels like a vacation,” explained the Ukrainian, but clearly added: “But biathlon also gives me a lot back. I can develop further, make a name for myself and get new opportunities.”
Overall, he tries to emphasize “a healthy balance,” otherwise it won’t work,” he emphasized.
“If you don’t switch off occasionally, you burn out. For me that means time with the family. Sometimes I go home for a few days during the season. The atmosphere at home is a real source of energy for me and recharges my battery better than anything else,” Mandzyn continued.
Biathlon: Mandzyn wants to “keep a clear head”
The Ukrainian showed unexpectedly quickly last season that he can keep up with the best of the best. However, this also caused some mental difficulties for him.
“The main thing I had to deal with was that the result wasn’t a coincidence. When you come fourth in your first individual, it makes your head spin a bit. You then wonder whether that really just happened. The big challenge for me was to recognize that this result was the result of my hard work and not luck,” he said, adding: “I learned to approach the matter with a clear head and I felt that I had made a big leap last winter I did in front.”
The new World Cup biathlon season starts at the end of November with the competitions in Östersund (Sweden).