It is impossible to think about Swiss biathlon without immediately associating it to the name of one family, because if it is not uncommon to have siblings competing for the same team, the case of the Gasparin sisters still feels rather exceptional. Not only, there are three of them and all capable of finishing among world’s best 10 in multiple occasions, but before their times, Swiss biathlon had never had a women relay on the main tour. Yet, this is not a tale of a family that planned to change the sport in their country, but rather the one of how fate sometimes knocks on the right door and the choices of some individuals can fire a new passion in a whole country.

From no women team to relay elite

“The relay has always been so special for us, because the three of us were always there for the first times”, explained Selina Gasparin, who in multiple occasion rewrote biathlon history for her country by herself. She was the first Swiss to medal at the Olympics in biathlon, as well as the first to win in the World Cup tour, yet she values the team’s first time just as much: “we were there for the first ever Swiss women relay in the World Cup, then at the World Champs, then at the Olympics… to be together for the first ever podium was simply fantastic”.

Her youngest sister, Aita, also remembers that day in Oestersund very well: “Throughout all summer training, together with our coach Sandra Flunger, we exercised many relay situations. We were close to the podium before and we knew that on a perfect race, we could get it. But we didn't think that we would reach our goal already in the first relay of the season!”

“Back in 2014 we were still fighting not to get lapped,” she added: “This was an incredible achievement and to achieve it with two of my sisters was just an incredible feeling. Watching Lena Haecki’s last lap was thrilling and my body would not stop sending me goosebumps. That moment was filled with so much happiness, pride and tears of joy. It gives us the satisfaction of years filled with hard work and it is a big step not only for us but also for the history of Swiss Biathlon!”

Elisa recalls a funny anecdote about that day, when the whole of Switzerland rejoiced in that historic feat, but their parents did not… or better, they had to wait: “our parents had a ticket to go to the theatre, so they shut down their phones and told everyone they wanted to watch it without knowing the result. We had taken the podium around 5pm, but they only found out at around 9! The same evening, we all watched it together again, Lena, Selina, Aita and I, and it was so emotional”.

Biathlon came to the Gasparin’s by chance

But as said above, the journey to these incredible first times for Switzerland did not come at the end of a predefined journey. It was more like biathlon came to the Gasparin family, rather than the other way around.

“I used to be a cross country skier when I went to Norway to study,” explained Selina, but little she knew that her sports life was to change in a way she could not predict: “due to this reason, I was kicked out of the Swiss Cross Country national team. Nonetheless, I did not want to drop my studies, especially not over there, as I was class mate with the likes of Martin Sundby and several other future Olympic medallists: it was a course for top class athletes and I really loved it, so I decided to stay there. During the summer break, I went home and got back to the local team. One day, we went to the Andermatt training centre and there was the chance to try shooting… and it was love at the first sight! I showed so much enthusiasm from the get-going that they even invited me to train with the national team. On the first day they gave me a spare rifle and said: ‘now you are a biathlete’. When I went back to Norway, I was not quite sure that would be my destiny, though, so I kept training with the cross country skiers, but on my spare time I was going to the range by myself or with my biathlon-class mates”.

In the meantime, biathlon also knocked at the door of another member of the family.

“Funny enough, at the same time, Elisa started biathlon back at home because a friend of hers was doing it and she thought it was fun. She was still so young, so for her it was just about trying and enjoying it, but for me it was a chance: having been kicked out of the Cross Country team and with the Biathlon team asking for me, I took the risk, because I knew I was good on skis, but my shooting was terrible. Still, I saw it as a challenge and I immediately realised it was the right choice”.

As for Aita, destiny reached on her with a little assistance.

“Without my sisters, I wouldn't end up being a biathlete”, admitted the youngest of the three: “I used to compete in cross country skiing since I can remember and was also into gymnastics for ten year. When my sisters gifted me a rifle for my confirmation at 16, my Italian grandparents were fairly shocked. They didn't quite understand what this sport is about and neither did any of my relatives, to be honest”.

Selina still laughs about the memory of that day: “at the lunch, after the mass, in front of our full family, half from Italy, half from Ticino, little Aita unwrapped a rifle as a gift! It must have felt a little weird for them to see it. But Aita always said that she loved the precision of movements in gymnastics, while cross country was more about letting off the steam, so biathlon was the perfect combination of these two aspects. It also came at an age when she had to make a choice, so it was the perfect compromise”.

Family life on tour

We often talk about the biathlon family, the strength of the bonding that the tour creates among athletes and nations, but in their case, it is through biathlon that the family united even more.

“For me it is so important to have my sisters in the team: it is not just practical for the sport (we train together, share thoughts and help each other), but I think it made us even more united than we would be if we had taken different roads”, explained Selina and her voice was echoed by Elisa immediately: “I think with your sisters you can open up about personal things that maybe would be a little harder to talk about with just a friend from the team. Even our parents often come support us and this makes us very united… I think it really helps me to have my sisters and my boyfriend, who is our ski man, with me. This way, I don’t miss home too much!”

“Of course, sisters sometimes can also be quite annoying”, admitted Aita on a laughter: “everybody having siblings know what I am talking about! But it disappears very fast, because of one simple reason: they are family. They can make me feel ready for a race, cheer me up if things do not work out as I want to, and share the joy of a personal success”.

“Maybe I appreciate it even more because I know what it feels like to be alone in the team,” concluded Selina: “having only guys to train and travel with, having no relays to run… then obviously to share a room on the tour with your sister is an added value, because we would never feel like rivals, even if we can be on the track. This is possibly one of the reasons why I stayed in biathlon so long, eventually”.

The Future of Swiss Biathlon

From the sole Selina Gasparin competing on the World Cup circuit, now the Swiss women team finished second in the relay score, Aita found her first career top 10 and Lena Haecki her maiden podium. Behind them, Amy Baserga was just crowned Junior World Cup overall winner and took a medal at the home Junior World Championships in Lenzerheide, showing that things have changed from the time when Selina by chance picked up a rifle.

“I believe that the silver medal from Selina in Sochi was key for the Swiss Biathlon,” explained Elisa: “but then all of our results: the first women relay, the first podium, the first medals… I think that now the sport has a bigger fan base, more sponsors and this will help the young kids to train better and more professionally than when I was their age, for example”.

Selina herself admitted to be surprised by where the sport has arrived in her country, especially by thinking how it all started: “I would have never guessed that so many years later, we would have such a strong Elite team, but especially behind us there’s such a talented movement of youngsters. For me, it is so nice to see how a biathlon centre grew in Lenzerheide under my eyes. So, it is not just me, but my town and my whole country stepping up in all departments: infrastructures, ski men, coaches, know-how… at the beginning we were close to nothing and now we are not far from the best teams in the world. I am proud of this and of the fact that maybe I helped a little with my example and results, but it really was a journey together”.

And how about the legacy of the Gasparin in biathlon?

“Let's say, Selina’s kids grow up with both parents having an Olympic Medal from Sochi 2014, so if they will ever be interested in sports, they will have good coaches,” thinks Aita: “as for Elisa and me, we are without kids so far, so we will see what future will bring for Gasparins in biathlon!”

However, Selina does not want to push her daughters: “I know what it takes to be a sportsperson, I know how hard it is… but I’d be proud of them if they had what it takes, I mean, the motivation, passion and dedication to work hard, make sacrifices and trust the long term goals. It would not matter if in biathlon or any other sport… but eventually, even if it is not sport, I would love them to set themselves high goals and work hard for those. There are so many things in life that I want them to choose whatever they like best… after all, having mum and dad who already have Olympic medals, maybe it is not so interesting, so they’ll be looking somewhere else!”

So, maybe it will take some time before a new Gasparin makes the debut on the biathlon tour, but for sure this name will not be forgotten and the tale of these three Swiss sisters is meant to stay and be told for a long time, waiting for new chapters to be written in the seasons to come.

Photo courtesy of Gasparin family and Christian Manzoni