Dorothea Wierer finally made it: on the amazing stage of Anterselva, where she was born and raised as a bi-athlete, the Italian 28-year-old ruled the Pursuit race, securing the second World Cup gold medal of her fantastic season, and strengthening her position atop the World Cup general ranking.
“It’s the most beautiful win of my career, for sure,” said Wierer at the press conference. “To compete here in Anterselva is always difficult, for the additional pressure on our team, especially after the good results we obtained in recent years.”
Wierer finished the race missing only two targets out of four shooting sessions – on the first and fourth one – taking the lead after her third visit to the shooting range and building a small, but consistent gap on her closest rivals, then crossing the finish line ahead of Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier and Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi.
“Conditions were quite hard today, it’s been crucial to shoot with a high percentage. Once I entered the stadium with a 14-second advantage, there I knew I was going to win, and I small tear rolled down my eyes…”, added Dorothea.
With the win in Antholz, Wierer is now atop the IBU World Cup general ranking with 592 points, her teammate Lisa Vittozzi follows at 568. The three remaining stages of the season will take place in Canmore (CAN), Soldier Hollow (USA) and Oslo-Holmenkollen (NOR).