Critical start of the year for Lisa Vittozzi, yesterday 65th in the 7.5 km sprint of Pokljuka, Slovenia, fourth stage of the Biathlon World Cup.
The Friulian carabiniere who started first, made four errors in the shooting range on the ground and two standing up, immediately compromising the outcome of the race.
It’s his worst performance this year, considering that since November 2022, he had brought home four podium finishes, including three individual ones.
An excellent E. Oeberg wins in the Pokljuka race, making two zeros and finishing at 20’52”2. Second and also perfect in pitches, the general classification leader Simon behind by only 6”9. Third at 18”7 from the top Doro Wierer who takes her second podium of the season, also impeccable in the polygons.
Vittozzi who finishes at 2’43” from Oeberg, in skiing was however eighth overall, despite the 6 penalty laps, 4 earned in the disastrous first polygon where he committed the highest number of errors among the 95 competitors in the race. The damage and the insult.
Lisa slips down in the blink of an eye from the third step of the general classification which now sees her fifth, stopped at 373 points. The third place of the sappadina goes to Hermann-Wick with 396 points. Second E. Oeberg at 485 and Simon at the top again at 546. Vittozzi also leaves the ranking of the best ten female shooters in this year’s World Cup. All in one bloody race where something really seems to have started off wrong.
«This is biathlon – commented the coach Mirco Romanin -. It happens a low-profile test, but up to now we have gone well and we continue on that path, with confidence and determination». We know that the 27 Friulian as well as being unpredictable, has strong shoulders.
«He just needs to find the right sensations again», concludes Romanin». Yesterday’s positioning excludes Lisa from the pursuit on Saturday which allowed access to the first 50 classified in the sprint.
In the weekend’s medley relays, Lisa will be able to test herself in teamwork, but at this point the individual discourse moves on to the next races, scheduled from 11 to 15 January in Ruhpolding, Germany, where the sappadina will have the opportunity to make up for herself and look for a desired “vertical” return.
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