The Valley's Embrace of the Two Biathlon Stars

Cavalese, April 15, 2024. "Every stone weighs in its place," as the proverb goes, every recognition truly matters when it's also celebrated at home or where it all began. The event to celebrate the World Cup victories achieved by biathlon super champions Lisa Vittozzi and Tommaso Giacomel, along with students, fans, institutions, and sponsor Felicetti, seems to confirm this. A crowd bathed the halls of the Magnificent Community of Fiemme where the two young stars – Lisa, 2024 Women's World Cup biathlon winner, and Tommaso, 2024 Under-25 World Cup winner – were overwhelmed by joy, affection, and admiration. During the celebration, the passionate recounting of their sports adventures emerged throughout the talk, where commentator Dario Puppo and sports analyst Massimiliano Ambesi conducted a multi-voice interview alongside Riccardo Felicetti, CEO of the family-owned Pastificio that sponsors the two athletes.

Lisa Vittozzi, a “super-medaled” athlete

An Olympic athlete and currently a member of the Italian National Biathlon Team and the "Milano-Cortina 2026" team, Lisa Vittozzi boasts a rich medal haul: after securing third place in the relay at the Kontiolahti World Championships in 2015, she won bronze again in the mixed relay at her Olympic debut at the XXIII Winter Games in Pyeongchang 2018, and in Östersund in 2019, followed by two silvers (individual in Östersund 2019 and mixed relay in Anterselva 2020), and then clinching her first individual World Cup in 2019. Successes continued in the 2022/23 season, where Lisa won her second individual World Cup and led the Italian team to a historic title in the relay at the Oberhof World Championships, earning the gold medal alongside Samuela Comola, Dorothea Wierer, and Hannah Auchentaller. Also in Oberhof 2023, the champion from Sappada took home the silver medal in the mixed relay and bronze in the individual and single mixed relay. The 2023/2024 season – with its extraordinary World Cup victory – is confirmed as the best ever. The final tally includes five victories, three second places, and two third places (including gold and two silvers at the Nove Mesto world championships), and also winning two specialty cups in the individual and pursuit categories.

Tommaso Giacomel, the promising young star of Italian biathlon

Originally from Imer (Trento) and born in 2000, Giacomel is one of the most credible promises of Italian biathlon. After debuting in the World Cup in 2020, on January 15, 2021, he achieved his first podium, finishing third in the relay. The following two years confirmed his initial successes: at Oberhof 2023, he took home the silver in the mixed relay just 116 seconds behind the Norwegians and the bronze in the mixed individual relay alongside Lisa Vittozzi. He then distinguished himself at Oestersund, where he achieved second place in the 20 km, his first-ever individual podium. His crowning achievement came during the 2023/2024 season, in which Tommaso won another silver in the mixed individual relay at the Nové Město World Championships (Czech Republic), again paired with Vittozzi, and notably won the Under-25 World Cup, jumping to 8th place in the overall standings (after 12th the previous year and 36th in 2022).

Felicetti for Sports

The sponsorship of Lisa Vittozzi and Tommaso Giacomel confirms Felicetti's commitment to professional sports across the board. With the “Passion for the Firsts” athlete team, the company from Trentino has indeed linked its name with many stars of Nordic disciplines and beyond: in addition to the two biathlon champions, also Omar Visintin and Mirko Felicetti (snowboarding), Nadia Battocletti (middle-distance running), Melania Delai (tennis), Alessandro Pittin (Nordic combined), and Simone Daprá (cross-country skiing). Pastificio Felicetti is also a sponsor of the Aquila Basket team from Trento and has recently signed a two-year partnership with FIDAL, the Italian Athletics Federation, as an official supplier.