He married just three years ago
Biathlon talent makes his love for world champion public
Updated 10/29/2025 – 4:34 amReading time: 2 minutes
Until now, only a few people knew about this biathlon relationship. Gaia Brunello makes her love for a former top star public. He only said yes to another woman in 2022.
The Italian biathlete Gaia Brunello attracted attention at the end of 2024 when she changed her nationality and has since competed for Brazil. The 22-year-old’s fans experienced an even bigger surprise away from the cross-country ski trail and shooting range – with a holiday posting on Instagram. The biathlete from Val Gardena spent relaxing days by the sea and shared impressions of her van life vacation in Sicily on the social media platform, which she did not spend alone.
Your companion is no stranger to their sport: Dominik Windisch is a three-time Olympic bronze medalist and 2019 world champion in the mass start. The 35-year-old, who ended his career in 2022 and now works as a youth coach, was one of the defining figures in Italian biathlon for over a decade. So far there has been no talk of a relationship between the two.
On the contrary: Windisch married his long-time partner Julia Pörnbacher in 2022. It was also not known to the public that the two were no longer a couple. The new pictures on Brunello’s profile now clearly indicate a new relationship – which is not only supported by the hashtag “inlove” (in German: in love).
“Posting this before it gets too cold to make sense,” wrote Brunello under the pictures that show her kissing and hugging with Windisch, among other things. The photos may have been taken in the summer.
Brunello himself started cross-country skiing at the age of eight and later switched to biathlon. Despite the move to the Brazilian association, she continues to train in South Tyrol with her trainer from the Ski Club Gardena. Her goal: an Olympic start in 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo – for Brazil, in her home country of Italy. Complete support for her new love.