The individual silver won in the World Cup in Algeria is the best result of Michela Battiston’s career, but above all it is a new starting point. After her exploits at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, which had not earned her any medals, but which had turned the spotlight on her as one of the most sparkling talents of the Italian saber, the Friulian was no longer able to obtain important individual results . You had marched very well as a team, making a fundamental contribution both in the World Cup and at the European Championships last June, which closed with a silver, but no placement at an individual level.
It was precisely all these expectations, which she herself was the first to take upon herself, that prevented her from expressing herself as she could and would have liked. In Algeria something has unlocked and now the 25-year-old from Malisana di Torviscosa feels lightened of a weight that had become quite cumbersome. The Friulian Air Force resumed training yesterday in Foggia, another stage of the World Cup is on the horizon in December.
How do you feel after this silver?
“Lighter. I’ve been waiting for this podium for a long time. I had a great need to reset everything that happened after Tokyo. After the great performance in Japan I had loaded myself with too many expectations and I wasn’t ready to face them and things didn’t go well. Last season was very difficult for me.”
In teams, however, she managed to do well. How come?
«When I compete with the team I am driven by the enthusiasm of doing something in a group and therefore another me comes out, more serene and carefree. In recent months, on an individual level, I was never satisfied and I was unable to render».
Was she excluded from the team competition in Algeria for this?
«At the beginning of the season I had talked about it with coach Zanotti. Since my individual results hadn’t been good either at the European Championships or at the World Championships, the coach wanted to relieve me, so that I could concentrate only on the individual competition. Thank you so much for understanding what I needed.”
Are you thinking of returning to the team soon?
«I think that after this silver it’s a bit difficult not to get back into the team. Certainly now I’m calmer and I’m ready to go again. I no longer have the urgent need to look for a result».
Did you realize that you achieved the best individual result of your career?
«It was a great result and I expected it. It just had to come at the right time. I’m only sorry for having lost the final, but overall I managed the bouts perfectly, without dips and with excellent sensations on the platform».
Yet they risked elimination after the group stage.
«The groups were a trauma. I knew that one defeat would be enough to make me go back into the preliminary rounds of qualifying for the main draw and when I lost the first match, I fell apart. Then, however, I decided that this race had to straighten it out and so it was».
The Olympic qualifiers start in the spring. Are you thinking about Paris?
“Of course I think about it. I think all the races between now and April are important to be ready for the key moment of the season».
What do you wish for this season?
«To be able to live it well, to enjoy it, as I did in Algiers. I would like to be able to express my possibilities to the fullest”.
When are you coming back to Friuli?
“Not before Christmas and I can’t wait. I’ve always been very attached to my land».