Strong on his skis — he has been on the mountainside since he was four years old — Emmanuel Bussani knows what needs to be done to take the next step.
Some work on his target practice and that could be the difference between silver and gold next time around for the first-year biathlete.
Bussani, a 13-year-old from Aldergrove, was competing at the B.C. cadet provincial biathlon championships at Whistler Olympic Park on Feb. 15.
Bussani won silver, losing to teammate Ethan Algra in the competition.
The difference was that Algra hit eight of 10 targets, while Bussani was 2-for-10.
Each missed target results in a time penalty.
The sport consists of the athletes skiing and in between laps, taking aim at five targets which are 10m away.
The trick — and it’s not easy — is to calm the heart rate down to take proper aim at the targets.
While losing is never fun, Bussani was happy with his silver medal, especially since he is so new to the sport.
Both Algra and Bussani compete for the Silverfox Air Cadets out of Abbotsford.
Bussani chose the Abbotsford cadet club since they had a biathlon team and the Langley cadets did not.
The championships consisted of a total of 2-km of skiing.
To prepare for the sport, Bussani usually goes to either Whistler or Cypress. Or he will strap on pair of roller-skies.
He also does daily cardio — either swimming, running or biking — and works on his target practice once a week at the Abbotsford Fish and Game Club.
Bussani already has his sights set on next year as he aims to qualify for the national championships. Long-term, he would love to represent Canada at the Olympics.
Bussani thanked Peter and Lynn Agra, who drive him to the mountain to practice, as well as Capt. Lorna Martin from the Abbotsford air cadet squadron for all their involvement.
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Thirteen-year-old Emmanuel Bussani won the silver medal at the B.C. provincial biathlon championships. It is just his first year in the sport.
