Biathlon: Two and a half years after her switch – Annamarija Lampic on the podium for the first time

Biathlon: Two and a half years after the switch – Annamarija Lampic on the podium for the first time
Uppdaterad idag 16:14
Publicerad idag 16:06

In spring 2022, Annamarija Lampic announced she would leave cross-country skiing to focus on biathlon. Now, over two and a half years after that transition, she has made her way to the podium in her new sport.

“This is a dream come true, I really needed this,” said the Slovenian to SVT Sport.

At 29 years old, Lampic unexpectedly left a successful career as a cross-country skier. After winning two bronze and a silver medal at the World Championships in sprint, she followed the path of Stina Nilsson – moving from cross-country skiing to biathlon.

Now the switch has paid off.
In the sprint event at the World Cup in France, Le Grand Bornand, she secured her first podium.

“This means so much to me, I worked so hard over the summer. I know I have improved, and everyone around me who has supported me has seen my progress. This is a dream come true, I needed this,” Lampic said.

The Slovenian had the best skiing time of all competitors, and despite two misses at the shooting range, it was enough for third place, trailing behind winning competitor Justine Braisaz-Bouchet from France and Franziska Preuss from Germany.

“It is huge. It is an affirmation of all the work that has been put in, and there’s a lot to be read into a first podium finish,” commented SVT Sports expert Mona Brorsson.