Lisa Vittozzi had to wait what felt like forever for this moment, but at the World Cup start in Östersund, it’s finally here: the Italian is celebrating her comeback.
What was already indicated during the summer break is now official: Lisa Vittozzi is returning to the biathlon stage at the World Cup opener in Östersund. The Italian Ski Federation has called up the 30-year-old to the squad.
The overall World Cup winner of the winter of 2023/24 missed the entire last season due to persistent back problems. She completed her last World Cup appearance on March 17, 2024 in Canmore – exactly 622 days will pass until the start of the upcoming season in Sweden.
Lisa Vittozzi missed the entire 2024/25 season
Vittozzi: “The best is yet to come”
“I am grateful to my coaches and the people who have supported me up to this point, because they helped me on a journey that was not easy. But the best is yet to come,” Vittozzi said in an interview with Fondo Italia from her self-confident side, referring to the Olympic Games.
The biathlon competitions of the season highlight will take place in Antholz, her home. “The Olympic Games are generally a big goal. They give athletes a lot of energy and motivation. When they take place in your own country, it additionally motivates you to give everything,” Vittozzi emphasized some time ago.
Vittozzi already proved in the summer that she wants to attack at the front again right away. In mid-August, she made an impressive comeback when she won the prominent mass start at the Blinkfestivalen in Norway.
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