Biathlon superstar Dorothea Wierer is apparently thinking about ending her career after the current World Cup season. The Italian indicated this after the last Olympic race on Friday. First of all, she is happy to finally close the Beijing chapter.
Dorothea Wierer ended the Olympic competitions in Beijing on Friday with a disappointing 22nd place in the mass start. And although the next games will take place in their home country, the race in China was probably the last of their Olympic career.
“Everyone dreams of taking part in the Olympic Games at home. But you have to be realistic. I don’t know if I’ll make it there,” the 31-year-old told “RAI” that the games were four years away in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo are probably out of reach for them.
Wierer even left open to the Norwegian media whether she would return to the big biathlon stage next winter.
The Italian told the “Dagbladet” that she had not yet thought about how long she wanted to run. She will “think about it after the season,” added Wierer, who continued to fuel rumors about her possible resignation.
In the past there has always been speculation about a premature retirement of the three-time world champion. Wierer herself fueled the discussions by repeatedly declaring that she wanted to turn her back on competitive sport sooner rather than later.
Wierer on the 2022 Olympics: “Tiring and demanding”
But the first thing the Italian has to do is travel home from Beijing. And he is already looking forward to Wierer. “They were tiring and demanding games,” she summed up after the mass start. “It was very cold and very windy. I’m happy to have won a medal, but it was very difficult.”
Many had hoped in advance for more than “just” a Wierer medal, but for a number of reasons nothing came of it. For one thing, the 31-year-old wasn’t 100% fit. This was noticeable in the mass start and the mixed relay, among other things. “I suffered a lot there,” she admitted frankly.
She also complained about the material disadvantage compared to the competition. “The level is very high, many have the potential to be on the podium. In addition, many of theirs have even better material. That gives an extra boost. Our material was only average. It’s a factor that is part of our sport ‘ said Werner.