The Italian team presents itself in Anterselva for the Milano Cortina 2026 races after a first part of the season which has been triumphant so far
Seventeen podiums and 7 victories in the World Cup. The Italian biathlon team presents itself in Anterselva for the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic competitions after a first part of the season which has been triumphant so far. In history, the record for podiums in a single season between the World Cup and major events (Olympics or World Championships) amounts to 21, obtained in 2018-19 and 2022-23, both post-Olympic seasons. Indeed, only one victory less than the record 2018-19 season, when 8 arrived. Not bad if you consider that, including the Anterselva races, 40 competitions out of a total of 69 have been held so far.
taboo hunting
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With an average of a podium every 2.35 seasonal races and a victory every 5.71, Italy dreams of confirming itself and obtaining satisfaction also in Anterselva where, from 8 to 21 February, there will be 11 races scheduled. The single mixed relay is absent from the Olympic Games, a race in which only one man and one woman will take part, while there is the mixed relay which will open the programme. At the home Olympics this beautiful Italy hopes to rewrite history, because despite having had several champions among its ranks, the Italian national team has never won any Olympic podium. The Olympic history of biathlon is certainly young compared to other disciplines, if we consider that it was present at the Games for the first time only in 1960 and women have only been participating since Albertville 1992. Not only that: in the first two editions there was only the individual, then also the men’s relay was added in 1968, while the sprint entered the program only in 1980. In short, the chances of medals were not many and until the fall of the wall it was those who dominated nations such as the Soviet Union, the two Germanys and the Scandinavian national teams. Only since Turin 2006 have the Olympic biathlon races increased to five for men and the same number for women, while the current number of 11 arrived in Sochi 2014 with the introduction of the mixed relay.
blue medalists
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In history, Italy has won only seven medals, one silver and six bronzes. The first medalist came from the Anterselva valley, Johann Passler, bronze in the individual in Calgary 1988, after even shooting for gold. Then the bronze also arrived with the all-South Tyrolean men’s relay team with Werner Kiem, Gottlieb, Taschler, Andreas Zingerle and Passler himself. At Nagano 1998 the best result achieved so far by Italy with Pieralberto Carrara, from Val Serina, 3 days before turning 32. The Bergamo native came 2nd just 5″5 behind the Norwegian Hanevold, managing not to miss any targets. A beautiful and also unfortunate silver: the day before the competition, falling on the ice, Carrara broke the stock of his rifle and, feeling almost cut off, chose a low starting number to favor his teammates. Furthermore, not feeling comfortable with his rifle, the Italian also lost a lot of time in each series of shots. The rest is recent history, of an Italian biathlon that has grown constantly and managed to win the bronze in the mixed relay both in Sochi and Pyeongchang (Wierer, Windisch and Hofer protagonists of both medals, while Oberhofer was present in Russia and Vittozzi in South Korea), Windisch’s bronze in the sprint in Pyeongchang, missing the last target, and finally Wierer in the sprint in Beijing.
WHAT HOPES IN ANTERSELVA?
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In reality, Italy won a gold medal in what was the ancestor sport of biathlon, the military patrol, with teams made up of four athletes: an officer, a non-officer and two soldiers. The blue quartet was composed by Enrico Silvestri, Luigi Perenni, Stefano Sertorelli and Sisto Scilligo. Obviously at the next Games in Anterselva, Italy has medal opportunities in every race, given the results obtained this season. Italy has achieved at least one podium in 10 of the 11 Olympic formats, with the sole exception of the men’s relay, obtaining victories in 6 different race formats. Giacomel is obviously the great hope, also because he has already won in sprint (twice), pursuit and mass start. He still misses the individual, which due to its characteristics is perhaps the least suitable race for him, despite being world silver. Obviously, from Perrot to Botn, passing through their compatriots and the Swedes, the opponents are many and fierce. Among the women, Italy can have its say with Vittozzi and Wierer on the four ranges, especially in the individual and perhaps in the pursuit. Then there is the mixed relay where, if we add the Hofer of the last few weeks to the 3 already mentioned, you can dream. But in biathlon you can never tell, because no one would have bet on Italian gold in the women’s relay team of the 2023 World Cup. In short, nothing is certain and winning will not be easy, it never is in sport, let alone in a discipline with a thousand variables like biathlon. But Italy is there to fight, never like this time.
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