Jakomel Reflects on Seventh Place Finish: Last Year, My Season Started Worse

The Italian biathlete and World Championship medalist Tommaso Giacomel shared his thoughts on the individual race at the first stage of the 2025/2026 World Cup in Östersund, Sweden, where he finished in seventh place with two missed shots.

«Overall, it went well, but I was hoping for a better performance. I tried to keep everything under control during shooting today in order to make a perfect four rounds, but it didn’t happen. I believe my first missed shot in the prone position was a clear miss, as I saw it very distinctly, which is frustrating. However, last year’s season start was much worse for me, so I can’t complain. This time I made a good start, and I hope to perform better in the sprint on Saturday.

The 20 km course here is extremely tough to complete; the track is quite nerve-wracking. You end up tiring more on the descents than on the climbs since there’s never a moment where you can just go straight; you’re always working hard. It’s intense!» — Giacomel’s remarks were reported by Fondo Italia.