Cross-country skiing, Mocellini fairy tale: he is second in the World Cup Sprint

A day as a Pellegrino: the podium of surprises for Italy cross-country skiing in the classic technique Sprint of the World Cup in Beitostolen thanks to Simone Mocellini. The Trentino native of Grigno, a financier who grew up in Valsugana, born on May 5, 1998, with a 19th place as his best result so far, treats himself to a fabulous day in the absence of the Olympic silver medal (he returned to Italy waiting to become a father) and De Fabiani, the big names in the group. Surprisingly, the blue nailed everything right from the qualifying rounds: third in the qualifying rounds and increasingly self-confident in the knockout stages which led him to the final with confident conduct, like a veteran. Mocellini surrendered in the final on the Norwegian tracks only to the French Richad Jouve by three tenths, and to the Swede Calle Halfvarsson, while the World Cup leader, the Norwegian Pal Golberg, who fell during a stretch of the final, remained under the podium. A new face for Italy’s cross-country skiing: former Azzurri Fulvio Scola trains him, is linked to the cross-country skier Francesca Franchi and is almost two meters tall. Strong emotions and tears for the blue overwhelmed by the hugs of the team. A podium in the home of the Vikings, masters of the classic cross-country skiing, doesn’t really happen every day. In the women’s race success of the Swiss Nadine Faendrich in front of the Norwegian Lotta Weng and the Finnish Johanna Matintalo. The thirty Caterina is Ganz 28a, out in the quarterfinals.

Says “Moce”: “Today I started at full speed and I wanted to get on the podium, because I thought that such an opportunity would never happen to me again. I have to say that I was surrounded by a staff who put me in the best conditions to do well and I had very fast skis. Obviously there is also an excellent basic physical condition. At the start of the final I thought what my coach Fulvio Scola told me and that is to pretend I’m in the European Cup and thus lower the tension. I dedicate this podium to my family, to the whole team and to my mates”.