Alpine SkiingINTERVIEW
pg fb Andrea Ballerin
Interview with Andrea Ballerin who will return to the Beaver Creek giant after his right knee injury during a training session in Saas Fee.
Tuesday 26 November 2019 6 minutes reading time
He won the permanent position in the World Cup thanks to a great season held last year in the European Cup. Andrea Ballerin, the blue team's gigantist, this year was ready to face the races better, but last month, yet another injury, the partial rupture of the medial collateral ligament of the right knee, slowed what were his winter goals 2019/2020.
How do you feel after your right knee injury?
Now I feel good, there is still a lot of work to do to be 100%, but the knee is responding well. I'm really happy. I'm back on skis, I did 4 days of training, the first day of which was in the free field. I will certainly be at the Beaver Creek giant's departure gate. I will go to America to train with the team.
Before the injury, how had your training this summer?
I was very heavy, I came from a good season. I couldn't wait to start with the first races. Unfortunately there was this inconvenience. Fortunately I managed to skip a single race but we have to see how I can get to Beaver Creek. It always takes a little time to get back into shape on skis. If you skip a month and a half, you lose so much.
Have the goals changed compared to before I had the injury?
Objectives have not changed at the moment, they are only more difficult to achieve. My goal is and was to finish the season in the first 30 of the World Cup. I absolutely want to try to make the World Cup Finals in Cortina in giant. It will be more difficult to reach him because I already have one less race and you have to see if I can get back into shape immediately. I know it will be tough, but I'm working on it.
You got the permanent position in the World Cup at the age of 30. What was missing before to make the leap in quality?
Surely there have been certain things that did not go as I would have hoped. As Marcel Hirscher also pointed out when he retired, the injury issue is always a problem. I have had three knee operations and several other injuries. It wasn't easy, every injury makes you lose so much time and you always have to start from the beginning. There were also other factors, for example when I entered the 30 in some World Cup races and then at the races after I didn't take points, I got demoralized rather than hold on.
You are an athlete who, despite everything, has not given up in the past. You have often trained at your own expense ...
Yes, I think I am the athlete who has done more years of "national interest". I trained at my expense and it wasn't easy. Fortunately the police helped me a lot, without them I wouldn't be where I am now. I never gave up because I always believed in the possibility of doing well. If an athlete has a military body behind him, such as the Golden Flames, which can help you then you can train well even outside the team, otherwise it becomes complicated.
In your career you have never participated in exhibitions like the World Cup and the Olympics. Could the Cortina 2021 World Cup be an opportunity?
I would love to take part in a world championship event, it would be a dream to go there since I've never participated. But at the moment I can't say it's one of my goals. I know it's hard, so now I have to think about season by season. Being able to enter the 30s and then later into the 15s.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Social media engagement
Più letti in Sport invernali
La nazionale azzurra di combinata nordica perde Greta Pinzani: rotto il crociato del ginocchio sinistro
Combinata nordica: come capitato ad Annika Sieff ad inizio estate, l'Italia si ritrova con un altro grave infortunio, quello della giovanissima tarvisiana che si è procurata il danno in allenamento a Predazzo.
275