The Biathlon World Cup could not have started in a better way for Italy. In Östersund, Sweden, the women’s relay team, made up of Dorothea Wierer, Michela Carrara, Lisa Vittozzi and Hannah Auchentaller, achieved a splendid second place behind France, the big favorite on the eve despite Simon’s absence. The Italians finished the race 13″8 behind the French, at the end of a very solid test on the range – with only Carrara going into the penalty lap in the second fraction – and competitive on skis, putting behind them the Czech Republic, third and surprise of the day, and Sweden, who came back to fourth after Skottheim’s errors in the first fraction. Two of the favourites, Germany and Norway, 11th and 13th respectively, were very far away.
