After an amazing season that gave him the 2012 Shooter of the Year award, Niccolo Campriani is ready to get back to the shooting range.
It's not easy to find the right motivation to start off with a new sports season. Especially when during the previous one you won 7 Medals, including a Gold one at the London Games. Not easy, but not even hard enough to make Niccolo Campriani give up.
Campriani had an incredible season in 2012, stepping up to the podium of the European Championships, of many ISSF World Cup Stages (London, Milan, Munich) and of the Olympics (10m Air Rifle Silver medal and 50m Rifle 3 Positions Gold medal).
As a clear effect, Campriani won the 2012 Shooter of the Year award, overcoming the Belarusian Olympic Champions Martynov by 20 points.
“That title is a big honour for me, – he said – the past season was great, I was on the podium with some of the best shooters ever. That was the result of a really intense 4-year-period of training, started right after the Beijing Olympics.”
So, 2012 gave Niccolo great memories, but he knows what to do now: “It's not time to celebrate anymore, now I need to face the new rules and figure out a new way of shooting for me. It's definitely quite different.”
To be honest, Niccolo had a good head on his shoulders after the Olympic Gold Medal as well: “I didn't tell any of my classmates about my outcome. They found it out on Google!”
Nothing changed after the London Gold medal for him. Why? “You don't want to change what has already worked great. - Explained Niccolo - I'll keep up my routine, always trying to improve myself. Rankings don't really matter, I just never want to leave the shooting range with some regrets. My real goal is shooting at my best. I'm always looking for perfection, but I'm still far away from it!”
That's why Campriani can still find motivations after such a great year for him as 2012. Improving himself day after day, knowing that he can always get better and that results are not all he should look forward to.
“2012 belongs to the past, - concluded Campriani – now the future gives me a new challenge, called Rio 2016. I'll take it!”
Nicco has no doubts about where to go: always ahead.