Lisa Vittozzi wins Olympic biathlon gold in Antholz, Germans miss podium
Italy's Lisa Vittozzi, 31, produced a flawless shooting performance and a measured race to claim the women's 10km pursuit Olympic gold in Antholz. The victory delivered Vittozzi her first individual Olympic medal and marked a landmark moment for the host nation's biathlon campaign. Norway's Maren Kirkeeide took silver after a late charge, while Finland's Suvi Minkkinen completed the podium.
How the race unfolded
Starting from fifth on the course, Vittozzi kept her composure at every shooting bout, leaving the range clean and avoiding the penalty loops that reshuffled the leaderboard. The final shooting proved decisive: a number of contenders faltered while Vittozzi remained unerring, allowing her to convert consistent speed and accuracy into a clear advantage.
Kirkeeide, who had to recover from missed shots earlier, produced a sensational closing lap to claw back ground and secure silver. Minkkinen moved up from sixth on the start list to claim bronze, capitalizing on steady shooting and an aggressive finish. Conditions in Antholz were favourable for fast skiing and precise marksmanship, and the day produced both dramatic swings and disciplined performances.
German squad falls short
The German biathlon team had hoped for a medal but ultimately came away empty-handed in the pursuit. Franziska Preuß, who pushed hard and had been in contention during the race, stumbled at the final shooting with two misses and slipped to sixth place. The outcome will be a disappointment for Preuß and the team as she had been among the candidates for a podium finish.
Other German finishes included Vanessa Voigt in 16th, Julia Tannheimer 34th and Selina Grotian 41st. The mixed results underline the thin margins in pursuit racing, where a single imperfect shooting bout can erase strong skiing and cost valuable positions.
Implications for the rest of the Games
Vittozzi's gold injects fresh momentum into the Italian biathlon effort and gives the host nation a much-needed highlight in the disciplines contested in Antholz. For the competitors who narrowly missed out, attention will quickly turn to the remaining events on the Olympic schedule as athletes regroup and refine tactics.
The Winter Olympics continue through February 22 (ET), with a packed programme of races and finals ahead. Expect teams to recalibrate their strategies after today’s shifting leaderboard — in biathlon, as in every Olympic sport, resilience and rapid recovery are often the keys to bouncing back.
