Donaggio greets Beijing with an 18th place and a lot of applause

BEIJING. Leonardo Donaggio does not enter the slopestyle final. Eighteenth place after the two qualifying runs and the Venetian freestyler who grew up in the Belluno valleys, he greets Beijing 2022 after fifth place in the Big Air.

All his Venetian fans, his classmates from the Follador De Rossi Tourist Institute in Falcade and the inhabitants of Selva di Cadore where he now lives permanently, were hoping for another great undertaking. But the youngest athlete of the blue expedition, who also passed through Valbelluna Freeski before wearing the Army Sports Group suit, had really given everything before this race.

Try to defend yourself in the first heat, postponed to the following twenty-four hours due to snow. He wins a 63.48 which, at the end, dad Emiliano will comment, was not so generous with his son’s performance. Thirteenth place and the final one step away, with the first twelve who will then go on to play for the medals. Thus the second descent becomes the decisive one. Without appeal because the qualification runs are only a couple, not three like in the Big Air where in the end you can discard one to choose the best ones. Fatigue, however, prevails and with 42. 88, despite tenth time in the heats, he places himself in eighteenth place.

“We can’t wait for you to come home,” comments dad Emiliano. «We heard from him immediately after the race and in any case he was very satisfied. We are waiting for him in the family and there are no words. We can only be happy, not only for the sporting results, but also for the man he is becoming. Matured a lot thanks to his coach Valentino Mori ».