There is also a big wave of retirements in biathlon this year. Top athlete Paulina Bátovska-Fialková justified her decision, among other things, with the high training effort.
Long-time Slovakian World Cup biathlete Paulina Bátovska-Fialková remains completely satisfied with her decision to hang up her skis and rifle after the season. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old emphasized in an interview with the IBU World Association that she would have liked to have spent a little more time in the World Cup circus.
“If biathlon was just about the competitions, I would certainly continue,” said Bátovska-Fialková: “But it requires a lot of training, and I won’t miss that. I want to be at home, I don’t want to travel so much anymore. I don’t need all the stress with all the plans and all the logistics anymore.”
Bátovska-Fialková made her debut in the first biathlon league in 2012, and was among the world’s best, especially between 2017 and 2019. She suspended the 2023/24 season because she had her first child.
TV expert? Bátovska-Fialková wants to “stay connected” to the sport
“You first have to be clear about what you want to be. I wanted to be a mother first and then a biathlete,” she said, explaining her decision to end her active career. “I may only dedicate 80 or 90% of my energy to biathlon. But that’s not enough, that’s for sure. To be at the top, you have to give 100% or more.”
Bátovska-Fialková pushes aside concrete plans for the future, such as a possible return to the biathlon circus as an expert. She now wants to “take a break and gain some distance from biathlon”. “But I will definitely stay connected to the sport, in whatever form. If I’m needed, I’ll be there. For now, I’d like to live a little quieter life. I want to spend more time at home with my daughter and my husband.”
