In Östersund the Italian wins the first race of what will be the last season of her career
Dorothea Wierer started the last season of her career in the best possible way, winning in “her” Östersund, the location where she achieved the most successes (6). Doro thrilled everyone, even herself. “I don’t feel well,” he said the day before. For a perfectionist like her, capable of showing those insecurities that one wouldn’t expect from an athlete as successful as she is iconic for biathlon, the most followed on social media, the most famous, it wasn’t easy. And after the great results in the relays, Wierer underlined that these were “races to be taken with a grain of salt”. In the first individual she won like a champion, like Doro, taking advantage of her excellent athletic form and that fast and precise shot like a champion. When he crossed the finish line with just 3 tenths of an advantage over the Finnish Leinamo, the emotions were strong, in his coaches, in the Italian technical staff, in the Italian and foreign fans.
RESILIENCE
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An emotion that is anything but predictable. How many would have imagined being able to experience one more of his victories, when in 2024, in Nove Mesto, – after having ended a season punctuated by physical problems and illnesses early – he had questioned his future? She didn’t believe it either. Then the choice to continue. After another complicated season, this year something different was perceived, a crazy physical form, an attention to detail that is impressive. She doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone, not even to herself, but Wierer is strong in that competitive spirit that distinguishes her from December 2015 to December 2025, from the 1st to the 17th success, always in Östersund. Even if she keeps a low profile, her opponents know that in “her” Anterselva they will necessarily have to deal with Doro, always ready to excite, with that slightly sly smile of someone who perhaps also draws strength from her own insecurities.