Tommaso Giacomel said he was struggling to breathe during his final ​​biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics

ANTERSELVA, Italy (AP) — The sport of biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and precision target shooting, requires hundreds of hours of training annually and the ability to push your body to the maximum effort for an athlete to have a chance of success at the Olympics.

French biathlon great Martin Fourcade and the German relay team received gold medals from the 2010 and 2014 Olympics respectively on Sunday in a reallocation ceremony at the Milan/Cortina Games. The ceremony took place in the sold-out Anterselva biathlon stadium between the men's and women's Olympic pursuit races in the presence of International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry.

ANTERSELVA, Italy (AP) — Biathlon, which combines rifle shooting and cross-country skiing, developed out of Scandinavian military training exercises. So it's not surprising that many of the biathletes competing at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics have military or law enforcement careers that help them fine-tune their skills,

From helping hands up slippery paths, to drinks and sausages passed over seated revellers in the beer tent, to universal appreciation for Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi, who won the final race, the whole vibe was warm and welcoming.

"It's about giving back and justice," said France's Martin Fourcade, now the gold medalist in the mass start from the 2010 Games.