Sanfilippos Aus enrages Wierer
Violent Zoff shakes Italy’s biathlon team
01/19/2023, 06:50 am
23 years ago Federica Sanfilippo and Dorothea Wierer started their biathlon adventure together. Sanfilippo is now resigning because she is no longer good enough. And superstar Wierer is massively critical of the association leadership before the home World Cup in Antholz.
Ironically, before the home World Cup in Antholz, the Italian biathlon women’s team is boiling. In the middle of the season, Federica Sanfilippo announced the end of her career as a ski hunter, prompting Italy’s star Dorothea Wierer to make an emotional and critical statement. “I’m bitterly disappointed. It’s not easy for me to accept what happened to you,” wrote three-time world champion Wierer on social media: “I don’t think you deserve to be treated like that and I think you didn’t get the chances you deserved.”
The 32-year-old Sanfilippo, who started biathlon with Wierer 23 years ago, drew the logical conclusion from her non-consideration for the home race in the South Tyrol Arena and the World Championships in Oberhof in February. The exclusion of Antholz was a bit of a shock. “It’s not easy to feel left out, but I still had to fight back and make the hardest decision of my career,” said Sanfilippo in an interview with “Fondo Italia”. After 13 years in the national biathlon team, she now wants to try cross-country skiing again. Next weekend she wants to start in Livigno.
“Our dream was to experience the home Olympics together and that must not happen now, our dream is broken. I’m sure you will find a way to be appreciated,” Wierer commented on her friend’s biathlon end.
Italy’s sporting director reacted cautiously to Wierer’s public criticism. “It’s not our style to react to stories from social networks. Rather, we’re looking for a personal conversation to clear up any misunderstandings,” Klaus Höllrigl told the rainews.it portal.