The women's relay at 12:05 pm and the men's pursuit race at 2:45 pm mark the last official races before the 2026 Winter Olympics. In exactly 375 days, Olympic medals will be awarded for the first time in the Südtirol Aren
Over 15,000 enthusiastic fans are expected to gather in the Südtirol Arena on Sunday. The women's relay kicks off just after noon. The situation is exciting, with no clear favorites. The victory and podium positions will likely be contested by athletes from Germany, France, Sweden, and Norway. Franziska Preuss & Co. have already won twice this season in Hochfilzen and Ruhpolding. Meanwhile, France is the only nation to have reached the podium in all three previous events (2nd in Kontiolahti and Hochfilzen, 3rd in Ruhpolding). The Swedes boast one win (Kontiolahti) and a second place in Hochfilzen, but they are missing their star athlete Elvira Öberg, who has been sidelined due to illness all weekend. The Norwegian women have also secured silver (Ruhpolding) and bronze (Kontiolahti) this season.
Host Italy also has an outside chance. The "Azzurre," led by sprint fourth-place finisher Dorothea Wierer, delivered a strong performance in Kontiolahti (4th place) and aim for another solid result at home in the Südtirol Arena. Wierer will be joined by Hannah Auchentaller, Samuela Comola and Michela Carrara, to complete the Italian quartet.
Norwegians the Strong Favorites Again
The men’s pursuit begins at 2:45 pm, with Norway as the clear favorite. After Tarjei Bø’s emotional sprint victory on Friday - where he announced his retirement at the end of the season - the Norwegian hopes to secure another win in the pursuit. However, his teammate and new overall World Cup leader, Sturla Holm Laegreid, has the same goal. Laegreid narrowly missed the sprint victory by just 0.4 seconds and now aims to claim the top spot. The race will also feature Johannes Thingnes Bø’s final performance in the Südtirol Arena. The younger Bø brother recently announced his retirement and aims to finish on the highest step of the podium in Antholz.
Italy is pinning its hopes on Tommaso Giacomel, who delivered an impressive third-place finish in the sprint and is expected to be a strong contender in the pursuit as well. South Tyrol fans will be rooting for Lukas Hofer from Montal, who is looking to improve significantly after finishing 29th in the sprint. The Italian team will also include Didier Bionaz, Elia Zeni, and Daniele Cappellari.