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Tommy Giacomel
Credit: Tommy Giacomel/Instagram; Grega Valancic/VOIGT/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- An Italian athlete who competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics pulled out before his competition was over
- Tommaso Giacomel underwent heart surgery after “struggling to breath and to move” during the sporting event
- The 25-year-old biathlete is scheduled to be discharged from the hospital later this week, according to the Italian Winter Sports Federation
An Olympic athlete who competed in the Milan Cortina Games has undergone heart surgery just days after forfeiting.
Italian biathlete Tommaso Giacomel is set to be discharged from Milan's Galeazzi Hospital on Thursday, Feb. 26 following an ablation procedure that was described as a “complete success,” the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) announced Tuesday, Feb. 24.
Days before the FISI shared the update, the 25-year-old athlete shared a post to social media explaining why he felt the need to withdraw from his final biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“Right after the second prone my body somehow stopped working properly and I was really struggling to breath and to move, therefore I had to stop. Worst feeling I have ever experienced in my life so far,” he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post.
Giacomel’s single photo upload was a selfie of him in a hospital bed with several medical sensors attached to his exposed chest.
“I tried to ski really slow the first part of the third lap but my body wasn’t allowing me to ski anymore,” he continued.
The athlete added that in the moment, he felt “frustration, anger, [and] disappointment.”
“It’s devastating. It’s devastating to stop but there wasn’t anything I could do against my own body today. Absolutely not the end of the games I was hoping for but I will never give up. 4 years fly by fast and I will try again in France,” Giacomel said.
He ended his post by letting his supporters know that doctors would continue running medical checks in the coming days to find the root cause of his health issues.
“Get well soon, Tommy! You’ll come back stronger,” the official account for the International Biathlon Union commented.
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Tommaso Giacomel of Team Italy at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games
Credit: Grega Valancic/VOIGT/Getty
Biathlon is a winter sport that merges cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It began in 19th-century Scandinavia, originating in ski warfare, and developed from the sport of military patrol.
On Tuesday, the FISI said their organization’s medical commission completed a series of diagnostic tests on Giacomel in collaboration with Professor Daniele Andreini.
Giacomel “underwent a CT scan, an MRI scan, and a maximal exercise test, all of which were normal.”
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“A subsequent electrophysiological study revealed an atrial conduction abnormality, which recommended a subsequent ablation, which has already been performed and was a complete success,” the FISI said.
Following his discharge from the hospital on Thursday, the Italian athlete who has competed in the Biathlon World Cup since 2019, will have routine check-ups in two weeks.
Giacomel is expected to return to regular training following the completion of those check-ups, FISI said.
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