Home hero delivers Italy’s first biathlon gold of the Games in a defining triumph on the women’s 10km pursuit stage

Under a pale Alpine sky and before a sea of tricolour flags, Lisa Vittozzi delivered Italy its first biathlon gold of the Milano Cortina Winter Games, producing a performance in the women’s 10km pursuit that will stand as one of the defining moments of the host nation’s celebration on snow.

The atmosphere in the mountain venue had been electric since early morning, with spectators lining the course wrapped in green, white and red, cowbells echoing through the cold air as anticipation built around the home favourite who carried both expectation and belief into one of biathlon’s most unforgiving formats.

The pursuit demands ruthless precision because every missed target means an immediate penalty loop, and Vittozzi approached the opening kilometres with measured control, skiing economically over the rolling terrain while keeping her principal rivals within striking distance.

At the first prone shooting stage the stadium fell into near silence, and one by one her five shots struck their targets cleanly, a flawless sequence that drew a surge of applause and allowed her to exit the range with renewed confidence and a growing sense that the day might belong to her.

The second prone confirmed her authority as she again cleared all five targets with calm efficiency, prompting visible celebration from the Italian coaching staff and raising the noise level among the home supporters who sensed momentum shifting decisively in her favour.

The race tightened heading into the standing stages, historically the most volatile phase of any biathlon contest, yet Vittozzi showed remarkable composure as a light breeze tested balance and focus, delivering another perfect series that kept her firmly at the front of the field.

By the final shooting bout tension gripped the venue because a single error could have reopened the contest, but Vittozzi steadied her breathing, absorbed the weight of the moment and once more found every target, leaving the range with a clear advantage and the gold medal suddenly within reach.

The concluding lap became a controlled display of strength and discipline as she powered through the final climbs without looking back, urged on by spectators running alongside sections of the course and shouting her name in a crescendo that seemed to carry her toward the finish line.

When she crossed the line with arms raised and disbelief etched across her face, the scoreboard confirmed that Italy had secured its first biathlon gold of the Games, a breakthrough that instantly elevated Vittozzi to national heroine status on home snow.

In the finish area teammates wrapped her in the Italian flag while rivals acknowledged the quality of her display, noting that in a pursuit race perfection at the range is often the decisive factor and that she had achieved exactly that under the most intense pressure.

The medal ceremony resonated deeply with the crowd as the national anthem echoed across the mountains and thousands sang along, many visibly moved by a victory that symbolized not only sporting excellence but also the pride of hosting a Winter Games on Italian soil.

Organizers described the triumph as a highlight of the event so far, emphasizing that success for a host nation in a discipline as technically demanding as biathlon reinforces the legacy ambitions tied to Milano Cortina and inspires younger athletes to embrace the sport’s blend of endurance and precision.

For Vittozzi the journey to this golden performance has included setbacks, scrutiny and resilience, and that narrative of persistence added emotional weight to a race in which she combined tactical intelligence on the skis with clinical marksmanship at the range.

As celebrations continued into the evening, her victory stood as a defining image of these Winter Games, a moment when preparation, home support and individual excellence converged to give Italy a memory that will endure long after the final tracks in the snow have disappeared.