Biathlon : the Olympic Games in sight for Dorothea Wierer
As the Olympic season prepares to kick off, Dorothea Wierer opened up in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport podcast. From her Olympic dream in Antholz (Italy) to her status as a biathlon star and her future retirement, the 35-year-old biathlete talked about everything.
“It’s a special year, with the Olympic Games on home soil, where everyone has expectations. I’m trying to give my all and satisfy everyone, but the preparation will obviously be demanding, because we’d like to give a little more of ourselves and leave nothing undone. But at the same time, because there’s more attention than usual, we’re automatically more in demand,” admits the Italian.
One of the themes that came up in this interview was the enthusiasm of the native of Brunico (Italy) to be able to compete in the Olympic Games on the slopes of Antholz (Italy) where she grew up – 11 kilometres separate Brunico and Antholz.
“Let’s just say that to end my career, this will be the ideal moment, even if I don’t win any medals. The commitment and motivation are still there. I still give it my all, but as the years go by, my body doesn’t respond like it did when I was 25. The idea of returning to where it all began is a wonderful thing, and it’s also a great story to tell. I can’t wait until February, when this loop closes. Then I hope to be able to enjoy life a little more.
Indeed, the Italian didn’t hesitate to talk abouther post-career life, which is often difficult for top-level athletes.
“Does retirement frighten me a little? Yes, a little. I think that as an athlete, you can’t prepare yourself 100% for the future. You can have plans and ideas, but you don’t know what life will be like on the outside until you actually do it. We live in a bubble, it’s not everyday life. We’re very privileged in that respect.
Dorothea Wierer also spoke about the criticism she may receive in Italy. Originally from South Tyrol – part of which is German-speaking – the biathlete is criticised for not being considered totally Italian. The same criticism is levelled at tennis player Jannik Sinner, currently world No. 1.
“I’ve come to accept it. People are used to saying these things, so they say them. Maybe a lot of people don’t even think about it any more. It’s not nice for someone who cares so much about Italy, who wins for Italy and who feels Italian. But I think that’s also the beauty of Italy: many regions have their own culture, their own way of speaking and their own dialects ,” concluded Dorothea Wierer.
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