- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,198,279
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Italy's Lisa Vittozzi celebrates winning the women's 10 km pursuit competition of the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Hochfilzen. Georg Hochmuth/APA/dpa
Italy's Lisa Vittozzi claimed an emotional first biathlon World Cup victory in 21 months on Sunday after missing the entire past season with injury.
Vittozzi fought back from 14th place in the sprint to victory in the 10 kilometres pursuit with clean shooting.
She beat Swedish World Cup leader Anna Magnusson, who had one missed target, by 11.4 seconds.
Norway's Maren Kirkeeide was third with three penalty laps while sprint winner Lou Jeanmonnot of France was seventh.
Vittozzi celebrated an 11th career victory and first since March 2024 when she won the overall World Cup title. She missed the entire 2024-25 season with nagging back problems.
"I did a perfect race, for sure it means a lot. It was really tough, I worked hard and I knew I would be back. It is a dream to come back like this. It means the world," Vittozzi said.
Sunday's success should also boost her confidence for the home Olympics in two months in Milan/Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Earlier, World Cup champion Sturla Holm Lægreid made the decisive move on the third leg as Norway made it two wins from two men's relays.
Lægreid turned a minimal deficit into a 53-second lead at the final exchange as he hit all 10 targets in his leg while French rival Quentin Fillon Maillet had to reload three times.
Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, World Cup leader Johan-Olav Botn, Lægreid and anchor skier Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen won the 4x7.5 kilometres race 43.1 seconds from the French quartet.
Sweden completed the podium in third thanks to strong shooting from anchor Sebastian Samuelsson in a duel with the United States and Germany, who recovered from 15th at the first exchange to fifth.
The biathlon World Cup continues next week in Le Grand Bornand, France.
You must be registered for see images attach
Italy's Lisa Vittozzi competes in the shooting range of the women's 10 km pursuit competition of the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Hochfilzen. Georg Hochmuth/APA/dpa
You must be registered for see images attach
(L-R) Sweden's second-placed Anna Magnusson, Italy's winner Lisa Vittozzi and Norway's third-placed Maren Kirkeeide celebrate on the podium after the women's 10 km pursuit competition of the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Hochfilzen. Georg Hochmuth/APA/dpa
You must be registered for see images attach
Italy's first-placed Lisa Vittozzi celebrates on the podium after the women's 10 km pursuit competition of the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Hochfilzen. Georg Hochmuth/APA/dpa
Continue reading...
