Biathlon: the outgoing winner of the crystal globe will start the World Cup in limbo
This Sunday morning, Lisa Vittozzi took part in the second sprint of the Italian selections in Martell-Val Martello (Italy). For the outgoing overall World Cup winner, this race was her first and only competitive outing on snow before the start of the 2024/2025 international season in Finland.
Despite a solid 9/10 on the mats, the Transalpine didn’t finish the race on the podium. Fourth, 35.5 seconds behind Hannah Auchentaller, the 10/10 winner ahead of Beatrice Trabucchi (10/10) and Rebecca Passler (9/10), she was unable to get any air on the cross-country skis.
This performance is explained by a back problem suffered at the start of the month during a training camp in Vuokatti (Finland). “Since then, I haven’t been able to train as well as I would have liked,” she told Fondo Italia. It was the first time in the last three weeks that I’ve been able to train so intensely.”
However, Lisa Vittozzi doesn’t want to be alarmed just twelve days before the start of the new edition of the World Cup in Kontiolahti (Finland). “I need to get used to the races and the pace of the competition again. I hope I’ll be able to do it [at a high level] for the start of the season, she says. I’m confident in the work I’ve done and I’m sure it will pay off.”
- Martell-Val Martello: new success for Hannah Auchentaller in the second sprint, Lisa Vittozzi fourth
- With Lisa Vittozzi, Dorothea Wierer and Tommaso Giacomel: Italy (already) unveils its selection for the Kontiolahti World Cup
