Giacomel drama, forced to retire while ahead of everyone: the reason why

Tremendous bitterness for Tommaso Giacomel in the 15 km mass start that closes the men’s biathlon program at Milano Cortina 2026: the blue biathlete, already a silver medalist with the mixed relay, was in the lead after the second shooting range and seemed well on his way to the medal race, but a little later he suddenly lost ground from the leading group, coming to a halt and raising the white flag.

According to FISI, Giacomel felt a sudden and very strong pain in his left hip, which prevented him from breathing properly and, therefore, forced him to leave the race. Excluded the’stomach ache hypothesis, which was immediately circulated after the withdrawal of the’blue athlete.

Francesco Lucivero

So fades the dream of a medal even in the men’s for Italy, which in addition to the second place in the mixed relay (with Giacomel, Hofer, Wierer and Vittozzi) had been able to celebrate, in this edition of the Winter Games, also the first overall gold in the discipline, thanks to Lisa Vittozzi’s victory in the women’s 10 km pursuit.

Dominating the biathlon medal table is France, with five golds, three silvers and two bronzes before today’s race. In second place is Norway (the overall medal leader) with two golds, four silvers and three bronzes, while in third place is Sweden with one gold, one silver and one bronze.

The French team is in second place.

Italy, with one gold and one silver, is fourth in the discipline medal table. Saturday&#8217s women&#8217s 12.5-kilometer mass start will be the last race on the program and the last chance, also for the Azzurre, to add a medal in biathlon.