The first was in the four-legged sprint relay won by Switzerland, where he was the second-fastest on the second leg to take the team from fourth to second place. Two days later, he won the individual knockout sprint to qualify for next year's Orienteering in 2025 at The World Games in Chengdu.

Riccardo, how did it feel to win gold in both the KO Sprint and the Sprint Relay events, and how do you plan to carry this momentum into The World Games 2025? 

It was very emotional to win with my teammates and then to win again in the knockout event. It felt very rewarding after many years of trying to get better and chasing the dream of one day becoming a world champion. It's still a bit surreal to think that I'm a double world champion and that I've fulfilled my childhood dream. I will try to carry this confidence with me for the next few years. 

Looking back on your experience at The World Games in Birmingham 2022, what were the key lessons you learned that will help you prepare for Chengdu 2025? 

I have learned to enjoy the atmosphere of so many different sports and use it as an inspiration for my own races. I really like to 'switch off' in the days before a race and think about something other than orienteering. When it comes to race day, my ambition is to do my best and focus on myself. Another lesson was that no matter how big the competition is, it's still an orienteering race where it's all about how accurately you navigate the course.

Orienteering requires both physical and mental strength. How do you balance these aspects in high-pressure events like the World Championships and the World Games? 

In my preparation for a big event, I train both aspects with different types of training. Especially in the training camps, with a lot of race-simulating training, we train to find the right balance between pushing ourselves to the limit and making smart decisions. On race day, I trust the routines I've built up during my preparation. It's a lot about trusting your technique to keep a cool head in important races. 

Your second favourite sport at The World Games is floorball. Do you see any similarities with orienteering that have influenced your approach to training and competition? 

One that comes to my mind is the ability to stop and go, which is also required in sprint orienteering (urban terrain). I do some specific interval training to get better at this. Another similarity is the ability to analyse a given race situation (mostly in the knockout sprint format) and quickly adapt your strategy according to your strengths. 

Looking ahead to the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, what do you expect from the event and how do you imagine it will be a "great show" for both athletes and spectators? 

I expect a well-organised event, with athletes from all over the world competing together in all the different sports. The real value of such an event is the interaction with athletes from different sports and learning from their approaches, mindsets, etc. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to watch new sports and meet new people.