Biathlon: Tommaso Giacomel praises his compatriots Dorothea Wierer and Lisa Vittozzi
With less than six months to go until the start of the Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina (Italy) in February, all Italians are thinking about this event. For the biathletes, Tommaso Giacomel’s chances of a medal will be legitimate.
Having recently finished sixth in the most recent overall ranking of the biathlon World Cup, the Transalpine has reached a milestone that allows him to dream even bigger. An individual world medallist for the first time in his career in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) last winter, the 25-year-old recently announced that he would be disappointed to return from Antholz (Italy) without a single medal around his neck.
On site, he won’t be the only member of the national team who will be under scrutiny. Among his female counterparts, Lisa Vittozzi and Dorothea Wierer will also be among the most closely watched athletes. For the former, however, it remains unclear whether she will return to her best level. Absent in 2024/2025, the winner of the crystal globe in 2024 nevertheless has the qualities to bounce back, according to her team-mate.
I saw her results at the Blinkfestival and I’m delighted that she won and that she put in a great performance,” Tommaso Giacomel told Il Dolomiti. I had no doubts about her performance. Lisa is strong, she missed a season but if she gets back into good physical and mental condition, she’ll be among the best in the world. As for the quality of her biathlon, no one can say yet.
“The hard work she has put in over the years means she still has a really powerful engine”.Tommaso Giacomel at Il Dolomiti
As for Dorothea Wierer, the sturdy man makes no secret of his admiration for one of the greatest stars in her sport. Dorothea trains with incredible enthusiasm and drive,” he continues. Sometimes I think she makes the mistake of ‘counting the days’ until the Olympics. But she has a lot of experience, an awareness of herself and her limits, and the hard work she has put in over the years means that she still has a really powerful engine.”
And Tommaso Giacomel has not forgotten to campaign for the 35-year-old biathlete, who could well be in contention for the coveted position of flag-bearer for the Italian delegation at the opening ceremony. “She deserves it. She has a great track record and she’s a charismatic athlete. If she were the Italian flag-bearer, she wouldn’t be stealing anything from anyone, quite the opposite,” confides the Italian. Of course, there are plenty of alternatives. I’m thinking in particular of Federica Brignone, Davide Ghiotto and also Pietro Sighel, who is now an international short track star. We’ll see!
Read also
