Lisa Vittozzi has experienced light and shadow in her career. © AFP / MICHAL CIZEK

Lisa Vittozzi: She went through hell for her big dream

Lisa Vittozzi fulfilled a dream on Sunday and won the overall World Cup for the first time in her career. She couldn't hold back her emotions anymore after that.

March 18, 2024

From: det

It's Sunday lunchtime in Canmore, Canada. Lisa Vittozzi has just crossed the finish line of the biathlon stadium and although she only comes 21st, one thing is certain: She wins the overall World Cup. When Azzurra goes to the interview with ZDF immediately afterwards, things get emotional. Vittozzi wants to answer the reporter's question, but can't. She fights back tears, she stammers to herself, and is visibly overwhelmed by her emotions. Only gradually does she catch herself and says in a shaky voice: “The last few years have been a roller coaster ride. But now I’ve done it.”

So Lisa Vittozzi showed everyone. The biathlete from Sappada was considered a huge talent early on, and this was particularly evident in the 2018/19 season. She fought with Dorothea Wierer until the very last competition for the overall World Cup - and finally had to admit defeat to her teammate.

She left herself and the coaches at a loss

What happened next is tragic: Vittozzi fell into a deep hole and literally went through biathlon hell for a few years. The order of the day was no longer victories or medals, but rather frustrating results, sometimes inexplicable failures and lots of tears. It was not uncommon for Vittozzi to miss all five shots at the shooting range. Fans, coaches and, last but not least, the athlete herself seemed at a loss.

Lisa Vittozzi won the overall World Cup. © Teyssot / Pierre TEYSSOT

With a change in life, the 29-year-old finally managed to get back to her old strength. “I changed a lot, almost everything,” she revealed SportNews at the World Cup in Nove Mesto. The first successes came back last season, but this winter the knot really broke. Not only was she crowned individual world champion for the first time and won three more World Cup medals, but she is now also the overall World Cup winner.

“I am proud of myself for never stopping fighting for my dream – and it is now a reality,” Vittozzi told the Italian winter sports federation. “I cried like a little girl today, but I wanted to savor this moment as much as I could. This crystal ball represents everything that I have lived through in the last few years. “All of this makes me doubly proud,” said Vittozzi’s emotional words.