2026 Olympics | Biathlon: 17/20 not enough for the podium
After a near-perfect relay, Italy’s Tommaso Giacomel was the favourite in Tuesday’s individual biathlon at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. On home soil, however, the second-placed athlete in the overall World Cup ranking finished in sixth place, a result that does not satisfy him. “For many people, sixth place at the Olympic Games is a very good result. For me, it’s a bitter disappointment, and that’s all I can say ,” he told Fondo Italia.
Not the same son, but the same passion for dads Perrot and Giacomel 😍 #MilanoCortina2026 pic.twitter.com/6SRViNwWKw– Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) February 10, 2026
Fifth in the skiing – more than 54 seconds behind first-placed Quentin Fillon-Maillet – and with three faults in front of the targets,the biathlete didn’t feel as comfortable as he’d hoped. ” It’s a shame because I didn’t feel at my best, either physically or in terms of shooting. On skis, I struggled from the very first round, and when it comes to shooting, what really annoys me is that I haven’t managed a single good standing series: in training, I almost never miss, but in the race, there’s always something wrong, and that really annoys me.
Even so, the emotion of Johan-Olav Botn’s moving victory got the better of him in the mixed zone, where he congratulated the winner. “I gave him a hug and I hope to see him again later so that we can talk privately. It was a great moment, and I’m proud of him for showing such impressive strength,” added Tommaso Giacomel.
The Italian is now looking ahead to Friday’s sprint, where he will start with the knife between his teeth. “Between now and then, I need to recover because, physically, things haven’t gone as well as I’d hoped. I need to rest and eat a bit more, but I’m very disappointed,” he concludes.
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