AN ITALIAN biathlete was forced to quit the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics due to pain and breathing difficulties.
Tommaso Giacomel was in contention for a medal in the men’s 15km Mass Start on Friday afternoon.
The home star was representing Italy during the Biathlon Men’s 15KM Mass StartCredit: EPA
The home star had been leading at the halfway mark in Anterselva after two double-zero shooting ranges.
Yet the cross-country skier started to slow down and be overtaken by rivals on the snowy course.
Television cameras then panned to him sitting on the floor, with his poles by his side, surrounded by concerned officials.
Eurosport labelled it a “Cursed Olympics” for Giacomel and said he was struggling to breathe.
It appears he fell during a stretch in the woods and was unable to continue.
The 22-year-old was the only person in the 30-man field not to cross the finish line.
It was a sad way to end the race, especially as he had hoped to add to the host nation’s medal tally.
More than an hour later, Italy coach Fabio Cianciana gave an update on Giacomel’s situation.
He said, “Health comes before the races. If Tommy felt some pain in the ribs, it is right that he has stopped.
“After one minute, he already felt better. He went on his legs for the first medical check. Now he is doing other treatments and he is fine.
“The race was going very well. Once he passed unharmed from the prone shooting, we knew that Tommaso would have been very dangerous on the standing shooting.”
And the star himself posted an update to his Instagram account some hours later – hooked up to hospital wires.
Giacomel said his “body somehow stopped working properly” and that it was the “worst feeling I have ever experienced in my life so far”.
For Giacomel, this was his sixth event of the 2026 Olympics – he had competed in the men’s individual, sprint, pursuit, mass start and team relay.
An Olympic silver medal in the mixed relay ensured that he would not leave the competition empty-handed.
Norwegian Johannes Dale-Skjevdal won gold thanks to a perfect race, with 20 hits from 20 shots at the range.
He got the edge over team-mate Sturla Holm Laegreid, who ended Milan-Cortina with a medal in each of the five races he contested.