Biathlon World Cup: Wierer opens her final season with a victory

Dorothea Wierer launched her final competitive season in the best possible way, winning the women’s 15 km individual at the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Östersund, Sweden.

The 35‑year‑old from Anterselva stopped the clock at 43:08.0 with two penalties, edging Finland’s Sonja Lenamo by just 0.3 seconds (one penalty) after a decisive final lap on the skis. France’s Camille Bened finished third at 8.4 seconds with one miss, while teammate Lou Jeanmonnot was fourth at 1.3 seconds back with two penalties. Sweden’s Hanna Öberg took fifth at 34.3 seconds with three misses. Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi placed 10th at 1:02.8 with three penalties.

This was the first individual race of the season and marked Wierer’s 17th World Cup victory. She had already started the weekend with two relay podiums for Italy (women’s and mixed), and now leaves Östersund wearing the World Cup leader’s bib. Wierer, the overall World Cup champion in 2019 and 2020 and the 2019 mass start world champion in Östersund, reflected on a difficult buildup, saying she had considered not starting due to a rough night and back pain late in the race. She credited her team and coaches for helping her focus, particularly on the shooting range. The men’s individual is scheduled for the following day.