Lisa Vittozzi, Italy’s medal hope at the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof, will not start in the pursuit on Sunday. The ski hunter announced this on social media on Saturday evening. Numerous competitors reacted.
“I’m still laughing here, today my heart is crying,” wrote biathlon star Lisa Vittozzi about a picture that she published on her Instagram page: “Unfortunately I’m sick. I won’t start tomorrow. Of course that’s one thing Huge disappointment but I hope to get better as soon as possible.”
Several biathletes suffered with the Italian. The Swede Hanna Öberg wished a speedy recovery, as did the Norwegian Marte Olsbu Röiseland and the Slovenian Anamarija Lampic.
For Vittozzi it’s a big blow, since the World Championships in Oberhof started so well for her. At the start, the 28-year-old won silver in the mixed relay – it was the fifth World Cup medal of her career. The big goal: to win gold at the World Championships for the first time.
Italy’s biathlon hope now rests on Dorothea Wierer
On Friday she had missed the podium in the sprint when Denise Herrmann-Wick won, but was within reach in fifth place. A shooting error had cost her a better placement, and in the end she needed over 45 seconds longer than world champion Herrmann-Wick. In the pursuit on Sunday (1:25 p.m.) she wanted to attack again.
Lisa Vittozzi is one of the world’s best biathletes in the current season and is third in the overall ranking.
Now it will be up to compatriot Dorothea Wierer to keep up the Italian medal hopes. However, the starting position for the 32-year-old is much more complicated, as she only finished 19th in the sprint. The otherwise very safe shooter allowed herself three mistakes and thus lost a better placement.
Dorothea Wierer starts 1.25 minutes behind Denise Herrmann-Wick, which means that the chances of winning a medal should be rather small. Meanwhile, Lisa Vittozzi’s eyes should now be on the individual competition next Wednesday (2:30 p.m.).