Over at the age of 28: Alexia Runggaldier is ending her career

In recent weeks and months there has been repeated speculation in biathlon circles about a possible end to Alexia Runggaldier's career, but now the Val Gardena native has come clean and officially drawn a line in the sand. She is leaving the big winter sports stage at just 28 years old. World Cup bronze as a big highlight In the past decade, Runggaldier went from being an exceptional local talent to being a permanent guest in the Biathlon World Cup and becoming a two-time Olympic participant (Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018). Since her debut in 2011, she has taken part in 94 World Cup races, making it onto the podium twice. She reached the highlight of her career in February 2017 when she won the individual competition in Hochfilzen World Cup bronze won. A month earlier she had been in the same discipline as Third at the home World Cup in Antholz already caused a first surprise coup. Runggaldier experienced a final highlight in December 2018 when she competed in Hochfilzen with Italy's women's relay team her only World Cup victory import. “I’ve reached the limit of my athletic and human strength” Afterwards, the ski hunter from St. Christina fell into a deep hole from which she was unable to free herself for a long time. After several injuries and illnesses, as well as a long dip in form, she tried to work her way back to the IBU Cup last winter. She scored consistently there, but – to the surprise of many – it was no longer enough to be nominated for the World Championships in Antholz. “Now I’ve reached the limit of my sporting and human strengths, I can’t give any more,” explains Runggaldier in a long way Instagram -Message. “I had to overcome fears and weaknesses” Although Runggaldier was not able to stay among the absolute best in the world, she “experienced unique emotions” in sport. Probably also because her career was constantly up and down, she describes biathlon as a “school of life” that has brought about major changes for her. “In order to reach such a high level, I first had to grow, explore myself and overcome my weaknesses and fears. Through sport, I have become the woman I am today,” said Runggaldier, who concluded her message by thanking her coaches, teammates, family and friends for their years of support.

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Over at the age of 28: Alexia Runggaldier is ending her career

One of the best biathletes in South Tyrol, the World Cup medalist and Olympic participant Alexia Runggaldier, announced the end of her active career on Monday. She says goodbye with a very personal, emotional message.

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