Biathlon, the Italian quartet takes silver in the mixed relay

The Olympics got off to the best possible start for biathlon Italia in the temple of Antholz. After an approach to the Games complicated by the doping case (with Rebecca Passler appealing to the Tas against the disqualification decreed last week), the Italian national team won the silver medal - the best result achieved in a Five Circles event - in the mixed 4X6 km relay.

The Italian quartet composed of Tommaso Giacomel, Lukas Hofer, Dorothea Wierer and Lisa Vittozzi held their own against France, which stretched its lead especially in the third stage, with Lou Jeanmonnot, the World Cup leader, impregnable on skis and very precise on the shot, who was able to dig a gap of about twenty seconds. This advantage was defended by the last fractionist Julia Simon, who was extremely solid on the range.

The Azzurri got off to a good start with Giacomel and Hoffer, staying in the leading group along with France and Germany - which eventually took the third step of the podium ahead of Norway - but were not very precise in their shooting. Perfection would have been needed, but instead the two men missed twice each in their ground and standing shooting sessions, having to use two reloads. Wierer only missed once, while in the final fraction Vittozzi shot with great precision with zero errors.