Pragelato Rua‘, December 15, 2024 – Another test event, another step towards the FISU World University Games Winter, which will take place from January 13 to 23 next year. Pragelato Ruà hosted the 1st stage of the Coppa Italia Fiocchi di Biathlon, with almost 250 athletes participating. Standout performances came from athletes such as Daniele Fauner, Fabio Piller Cottrer, Sophia Zardini, and Fabiana Carpella, who made their mark during the two days of competition.
“This event was a very important test for all of us in the Torino 2025 FISU Games Organizing Committee,” said President Alessandro Ciro Sciretti. “I am pleased with the progress of the preparations and the setting up of the various venues, but especially with the growing synergy among the different functional areas that, as our event approaches, are working together more effectively. Additionally, breathing new life into a facility that had remained untouched for over 15 years fills us with pride. What’s more, we are doing this with a sustainable sport, practised by so many!”
Milan Augustin, FISU Director for the Winter Games and a former biathlete, remarked: “I am pleasantly surprised. The venue, despite being prepared in a relatively short time, has turned out beautifully and is exactly what we need. My thanks go to everyone involved: the Municipality of Pragelato, the Piemonte Institutions, and the Torino 2025 Organizing Committee. Without each of them, we would not be able to host biathlon in such a wonderful location.”
Ubaldo Prucker, Director of the Sports Division for the Torino 2025 World Games and an expert in national and international biathlon, stated: “We are satisfied with the success of this sporting event. The athletes expressed their appreciation for the shooting range area, describing the racecourse as ‘challenging,’ on par with World Cup tracks. We may still need to adapt certain sections of the course ahead of the January competitions.”
Karin Oberhofer, bronze medalist at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and responsible for all national biathlon events, highlighted the challenges of organizing a race in a new venue for the first time: “Here, everything went perfectly, and my compliments go to everyone involved in the organization. I am convinced that this venue will shine during the Torino 2025 FISU Games. Moreover, some of the athletes who competed here over the past few days are likely to play starring roles in January as well.”
Great satisfaction, therefore, on the part of those involved for what has been done so far, which will bring great results in the coming weeks as well. The Pragelato Biathlon Centre, born from the ashes of a legacy of times past, will be one of the most important legacies of the Torino 2025 FISU Games.
