In Belgium, four PWT Italia athletes lined up for the European Championships. Among them, Mattia should have been there too.
The European Orienteering Sprint Championships in Hasselt, Belgium, were a whirlwind of emotions, adrenaline, and unexpected turns. The races, demanding not only physically but especially technically, truly tested even the strongest athletes, shaking up the rankings; new, young, and promising runners managed to make their mark on the international stage.
Among those selected to wear the Italian national team jersey, four came from PWT Italia team: Guenda Zaffanella, Caterina Dallera, Jessica Lucchetta, and the youngest, still a junior, Fabio Amadesi. Mattia Debertolis, who sadly passed away on August 12 during a race at the World Games in China, was also meant to take part. The organizers, together with all the athletes, honored his memory with a minute of silence at the opening ceremony. As a team, we feel a deep responsibility to carry his legacy forward through orienteering, continuing to compete with the same passion that always defined him.
The race program, as always, was intense: starting Wednesday, August 27 with the relay, continuing Thursday with qualifications, Friday with the knock-out, and wrapping up Sunday, August 31 with qualifications and the final.
At the end of the event, here are the statements from our athletes:
Fabio Amadesi
“For me, the EOC was the goal of the year, so I’m glad I could be there. However, I started off feeling a bit down, also because of what happened with Mattia (the last time we raced together was right here in Belgium). In the lead-up to the Europeans, I had some physical problems that forced me to cut back on training. I didn’t feel 100% ready physically, and the results reflect that. Technically things went well, the fl
ow was good enough, but fatigue and a lack of clarity set in quickly, and that’s when mistakes come easily. Overall though, I’m happy with the experience – it was my first time on the senior team. From here, there’s only room to improve.”
Guenda Zaffanella:“Unfortunately it didn’t go as I had hoped. My goal was to qualify, either for the knock-out or at least for the sprint final, but I didn’t make it. Still, I feel I’m on the right path; my sensations during the races were good, especially when it came to running. Technically I feel more confident because I could see that I was able to execute everything correctly. Compared to the beginning of the year, I notice progress: I feel stronger and more determined.”
Caterina Dallera:
“I came into these EOCs a bit shaken up, since I had only decided to take part a few days before. I ran the sprint relay, which went fairly well: I started too fast and had a small incident on the course, but overall it was positive. In the knock-out qualification I didn’t make mistakes, maybe just a few suboptimal route choices, and I lacked a bit of speed compared to May, when I was r
unning much faster. On the last day I missed the final by only two seconds—it’s very little, but in races this short, that can happen. Overall, it was a special situation, also because I had other things on my mind. Now though, I’m already focused on the upcoming World Cup races at the end of the month: these competitions have brought back some of my motivation, so I hope they go well. In the end, I’m happy.”
Now the team’s focus is entirely on the Italian Relay and Long Championships, coming up next weekend, September 13-14th.