His compass took him straight to the World Cup. Mattia Scopel is the first athlete from Belluno to participate in the orienteering World Cup. The international event will be held this week in the province of Belluno: tomorrow the Long race will take place in the Cansiglio forest and the Middle race on Saturday; on Sunday in Cortina d’Ampezzo it will be the Sprint relay race (relay).
Scopel, ASD Fonzaso color bearer, has been called up for the senior national team at the end of a long and emotional season. “I was hoping for this call-up, but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. There are many Italian athletes in orienteering who deserve to be here. I hoped for it until the end. I still don’t know which of the races I will run: logically I hope as much as possible, but the decision rests with the selector. I have no specific expectations on a personal level, also because this is my first year among the Elite. I live this experience well, without worries: it is a satisfaction to be here ».
After the forced stop in 2020, the orienteering movement restarted immediately …
«The movement has restarted very well. The federation has set up many races and has done it in the best way ».
On a personal level, on the other hand, what balance do you trace of the 2021 season which is about to conclude?
“Personally, it was a bit of a strange season. I started well in the winter and I was in good shape since March. Then, however, in the spring, for a few months, something went wrong, I couldn’t train and express myself in the race as I wanted. Fortunately, in the summer I found my condition again and now I arrive absolutely motivated for this World Cup ».
Which will not, however, be the last prestigious appointment of this autumn under the banner of orienteering.
«In mid-October we will be in Puglia, in Grottaglie, for the Italian Sprint relay championships and the final of the Italian Middle Cup. At the end of October, however, I will have the opportunity to go to Denmark to participate in a camp in preparation for the 2022 World Cup which will take place there next year ».
How busy is this discipline?
«Basically I train every day. I have to thank my athletic trainer, Modesto Bonan, and my coach, Cristian Bellotto, for how they follow me ».
You are registered with Asd Fonzaso, one of the two orienteering realities in the province of Belluno; the other is the Orienteering Dolomites.
«It would be nice that maybe in the future some other club could also be born to promote this sport in particular in the upper part of our province. With this in mind, who knows if Sunday’s final in Cortina D’Ampezzo will not help to draw attention to this discipline of ours ».
Meanwhile, the Fonzaso is significantly expanding its base …
“The company is doing an excellent job, starting from the schools. There are many young people who come up. In other areas, such as in neighboring Trentino, orienteering is much more rooted than in Italy. But even here we are growing well ».
The national team
For the long weekend of the World Cup between Cortina d’Ampezzo and Cansiglio, meanwhile, the blue technicians Mikhail Mamleev and Verena Troi have called up 17 blue athletes: Caterina Dallera (North Point), Jessica Lucchetta (Tarzo), Anna Pradel (Primiero ), Martina Rizzi (Pergine), Carlotta Scalet (Park World Tour Italy), Alice Selem (Pergine), Francesca Taufer (Primiero), Viola Zagonel (Masi), Ilian Angeli (Folgore), Damiano Bettega (Pavione), Mattia Debertolis ( Primiero), Sebastian Inderst (Park World Tour Italy), Francesco Mariani (Orsa Maggiore), Lukas Patscheider (Park World Tour Italy), Riccardo Scalet (Park World Tour Italy), Mattia Scopel (Fonzaso) and Giacomo Zagonel (Primiero).
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