The next one, please: A few days after Dorothea Wierer and Franziska Preuß ended their careers, another well-known biathlete announced her retirement. However, she will still take part in the last World Cup races.
The sport of biathlon is losing its next familiar face: As the Slovak association announced on Tuesday evening, Paulina Batovska Fialkova will end her career at the end of the 2025/26 season. The 33-year-old celebrated her World Cup debut in 2012, making her one of the longest-serving ski hunters in the field.
“My whole life has revolved around one sport. Biathlon has shaped me from my first children’s training to the World Cup podiums. During my career I have experienced pretty much everything,” Fialkova said in a video statement.
“A big chapter in my life is closing”
The sport of biathlon showed her that it is never too late. “And that happiness is not only found in victories. On the contrary. Victories are often found in the little things of everyday life. That’s why I’m not saying goodbye today, but thank you!”
Fialkova continued: “A big chapter in my life is slowly closing. But I still have a World Cup race. I want to enjoy this moment with you,” she said in closing words to her friends and fans.
Biathlon career with ups and downs
Although the Slovakian was denied great sporting success in her career, she still achieved some highlights. The soon-to-be biathlon retiree caused a sensation, especially in the 2018/19 season. That year she reached the podium six times in the World Cup and achieved numerous other top results. At the end of the winter she took second place in the individual World Cup, third place in the Mass Start World Cup and sixth place in the overall World Cup.
At the World Championships and the Olympic Games, she narrowly missed the podium several times. For example, in 2018 in Pyeongchang, where she came fifth in the individual and relay. She also finished fifth in the individual at the 2019 World Cup in Östersund.
