Nordic SkiingCross country skiing - italy
Flying Point by Anna Comarella
Neveitalia met with the twenty-year-old founder Anna Comarella who told her sensations about the medal obtained in the relay, her technical features, and how her passion for a sport that was at national level struggling to achieve succes and media attention Over the last two decades.
Monday 3 July 2017 15 minutes reading time
In a women's season that has seen very few signs of signs and the continuation of the stagnation period that Italian skiing has been experiencing for four years now, a positive note is definitely to be attributed to junior girls who in the 4x3, 3km to Soldier Hollow Junior Worlds have succeeded in the prestigious silver medal.
 Martina Bellini, Anna Comarella, Francesca Franchi and Cristina Pittin have succeeded in returning to the end of January 2000 at Strbske Pleso to find an Italian on the podium of a junior world with Christina Kelder's 3rd place in the first sprint of the history of Junior world at free technique.
It was certainly an edition to remember for the US, for the high technical level shown by the girls and in which are also worth mentioning the two important quarters individual places obtained by the "captain" Comarella in the skiathlon and in the 5km technique Free.
A cross-country skier, Cortina's twenty-year-old native, and unlike the Italian tradition of this winter discipline, Anna prefers and loves infinite classical technique and skilful climbs that have made the fortunes of her fellow countrymen in past .
She feels more at ease in alternating, "It's a technique I've always liked though I still have to do some improvements in double poling but I really like the harmonious style of this technique." But the good US results and the two COC-skating wins at Planica and St. Ulrich show that even in free technique is progressing despite its own critical sense in itself there are some small technical errors that sometimes limit its undoubted qualities in racing distance .
But his season certainly did not stop in Utah. Returning to the Alpine hills was later awarded the final standings of the Continental Cup of cross-country skiing, a real springboard for fondists, which allowed her the well-deserved promotion in the group of under 23 Italians.
For Anna Comarella, starting with cross country skiing has been very simple and natural. Since her little mother, Silvia, a former national fundraiser, she carried her on the renowned Ampezzo slopes, and it was easy to pass the passion of the mother-to-daughter fund, the first races in the Veneto district and the first junior-level successes At home and internationally.
We met during a break of his workouts in Val di Fiemme with the under 23 group in preparation for a season that will see her in her first year as a senior and with the goal of participating in the worlds under 23 of Obergoms and maybe even be able to debut in the World Cup national team. But on these futuristic arguments Anna is very humbly and with a laughter that characterizes her always solar character tells us that at the moment these are just her inner wishes and that much work has to be done to reach them.
- What are your memories of the Soldier Hollow Junior World Cup? And were your predictions / hopes the brilliant achievements and the medal that Italy missed from several editions?
For me, the American worlds have been a wonderful experience in every respect. I was very much involved because going to America was one of my dreams and thanks to the sport I realized it; The world experience is always beautiful and particular, there is a different atmosphere, it is very felt the sense of belonging to the nation and I was very happy to be able to represent Italy. When we arrived and saw all that snow was even better because there was never a winter landscape last winter; Then we as Italy lived in the same house and in my opinion this also had a great impact on our medal because we were very united.
Personally I was pointing at the top also at the individual level because I wanted to improve compared to fourth place in the world of Rasnov and although I still got two quarters that are a great result, I was not satisfied with myself. The medal medal was beautiful because we girls were very convinced and we hoped to do well. That day was all very beautiful: when our first frazionist Martina Bellini arrived at the exchange I was agitated because one thing is thinking about getting ahead and one thing to see it happen. When I left, however, I focused only on the race and while we were expecting our last fictionalist Cristina Pittin we were very happy because it was the dream of us all to achieve this.
- How did you start with cross country skiing and what are your main features?
I started practicing cross-country skiing at 5 years because my mom was doing this sport and so he passed on this passion. I started skiing with the group of my village (Sestiere di Alverà ), then I went to the Cortina Ski Club and then last year I entered the Sports Flame Group.
In the cross country skiing I prefer classic technique: I like the style in particular the alternating step and I like the slopes with many climbs; I have a bit of difficulty in the plane with the slipped thrust while, as far as skating is concerned, I still have little things to fix. As a girl are solar, I really like laughing. (I'm a little tired of describing me !!)
- How can you reconcile the school and the various sessions and lessons at the University with high-level cross-country skiing activities?
I joined the Treviso Foreign Trade faculty, which is about 2 hours from my house. This faculty has no obligation to attend so I can train and participate in the races without problems. During the break between winter and summer, I participated in the last lessons and then I did some exams so that I was in step with the other students; Now I still miss 2 exams, which I will give in September, to finish the first year exams. This faculty lasts for three years, but it can be done two more years. During the winter I always studied when I was able to get prepared for the May / June exam session. My college buddies helped me through the notes and many lessons were also on the University site so I could go home.
- How is your preparation going on after promotion in the Under 23 Group, and what are your goals for next season?
At the moment the preparation is going well; This week we are meeting in Moena and we are doing several tests. We girls are a nice group, for younger ones it is very stimulating to have Ilaria Debertolis who has a lot of experience as a girl coming from the World Cup.
I always hope to improve from year to year; This year I know it will be a bit more difficult since I'm senior to the senior year, there are girls bigger than me and if the results do not arrive, I can put aside the experience and use it for the next year.
- Is there a particular technical you are working on more specifically during this summer and what do you feel about having to improve?
As for classical technique, I'm concentrating a lot on improving the sliding push that is my weak point while in skating I have to improve a bit on everything so I'll have to work a lot more.
- Female cross-country skiing has lasted for 4/5 years and the overall fund in Italy is not going through its best period. What advice can you give Federation and technicians to relive the golden times of Belmondo, Di Centa, Paruzzi? And to involve the boys more in cross-country skiing?
This is a very difficult question! Unfortunately I do not know how to answer but we as girls are putting it all together, we are very busy, we are convinced and hope that the results will arrive sooner or later.
To involve the boys in cross-country skiing, you should understand that it's not just a tough sport but there's a lot more to it: fun, friendships, the environment both as a group and as landscapes. It is a beautiful sport, which gives you serenity also thanks to the nature around you.
- Did you find a bit of rivalry with biathletes who are year by year increasingly acquiring international media attention?
I do not feel this rivalry, indeed I am very happy for them; I'm really strong, I hope this also happens in our sport. I think, however, that if the biathlon is so popular maybe it is good for cross-country skiing because we still move on the same skis.
- What would you change in cross-country skiing in these times of continuous change of forms, discussions about the technique and regulatory changes that are undermining the tradition with which our discipline was born?
I am very sorry that classical technology is evolving into something that perhaps does not represent it anymore because this is my favorite technique and it is bad to see the alternate step disappear because it is a beautiful step. According to me, classical racing games should be made on slopes that have many hard climbs so that they are forced to make an alternate step.
- How do you see from here to 5 years and what are your sporting dreams for the future?
Over the next 5 years, I still hope to make cross-country skiing at a good level, to be improved in my technical defects, to have made new experiences, to meet new people, to new posts and to graduate!
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