The weeks leading up to the competition involved various preparations. Ida graduated in mid-June, affecting our usual training schedule with the prom, graduation trip, graduation week, and celebrations with guests from afar.
During training, we focused on long-distance shooting, target transitions, and movements. We primarily trained on our home range in Rättvik. Spring competitions provided additional opportunities to practice both mentally and physically, challenging us with different setups, weather, and wind conditions. We felt prepared for the competition in Italy, approaching it as a valuable experience in international competition settings ahead of the World Championship. Our goal was to participate, listen, observe, reflect, and meet shooters from around the world.
Once in Italy, the competition began! The day before the start, we had the opportunity to see the ranges and sight in our weapons. This was not only necessary for feeling confident with our equipment but also for meeting others with the same interest. Sharing experiences, knowledge, and laughter is important to us, and this sport offers plenty of that. Besides checking our equipment settings, we got to know new faces and meet shooters from different nationalities. Equipment-wise, everything worked as planned, except for a minor issue with Marcus's gear.
The first competition day brought still, 36-degree heat and incredibly fun shooting. The course offered everything from traditional barricades to long-range targets, challenging shooting orders, or time-consuming manual loading (one shot at a time). We had the opportunity to test ourselves and our equipment in a new setting, and it was fantastic! We were both quite satisfied after the first day, although we saw room for improvement. We reviewed the day together, identifying highlights and areas for improvement, setting goals for day 2. After a lovely Saturday evening with a communal Southern European dinner at the vineyard where the competition was held, we felt ready for the final day.
Sunday brought even hotter temperatures and another educational day. The competition was divided into different areas, one requiring a car to reach the ranges. The setup of the stations presented challenges, mainly in the form of height differences and mirage that day. We both struggled to maintain focus and hydration in the heat, but we had another incredibly rewarding day, culminating in Ida receiving the second-place prize in the women's category. We were both pleased with our overall standings.
In conclusion, participating in this competition was the right decision, providing the experience and training we sought. We also concluded that we would likely return to this competition in the future!
