Long silence broken
Top biathlete with an emotional statement
December 19, 2024 – 2:15 p.mReading time: 1 min.
The new biathlon season has been running since the end of November. One top athlete is missing from the competitions so far: the Italian Lisa Vittozzi. Now she spoke up.
Lisa Vittozzi was the best biathlete of the past 2023/24 season and became the overall World Cup winner. There is still no sign of the Italian in the current season; she was missing both at the start in Kontiolahti (Finland) and most recently in Hochfilzen (Austria). Vittozzi will not be competing this weekend in Le Grand-Bornand (France).
The reason for their absence is severe persistent back pain. She spoke out on Instagram for the first time in a long time. “This time I had to listen to my body. I’ve been away for a while, but as you may know, the last two months have been very difficult for my health,” the 29-year-old wrote on Wednesday.
At the end, Vittozzi was combative despite her complaints: “I’m doing my best to get well again and get back to what I love.” However, defending her overall World Cup victory will be next to impossible as she has to catch up on at least three race weekends.
Vittozzi’s goal is to take part in the first competitions of the new year. The 2025 biathlon season starts on January 9th with the competition in Oberhof (Germany).