“You can’t sink any lower”: biathlon star makes panic attacks public

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Lisa Vittozzi is back at the top of the biathlon world. Third place in the overall World Cup and four medals at the World Championships, including gold in the relay, show that the Italian has overcome her lowest point of the two previous seasons.

Now the 28-year-old opens with an emotional post in the Italian sports blog “The Owl Post” and talks about the two-year “total blackout”. “I felt a great unease to live the sport.” This was reflected in the results: places 16 and 31 in the overall World Cup, a single podium finish in two years.

“I was no longer satisfied, I doubted my abilities, I no longer recognized myself.” She had panic attacks. “Thinking about it gives me chills, like a punch in the chest. Like when you’re too tense and forget to breathe.”

Second place in the overall World Cup in the 2018/19 season reached its all-time low in February 2022 at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Her best finish was 32nd in the pursuit. In the individual competition, her real parade discipline, she only finished 76th. But something told me it’s better to suffer to the end, to the absolute nadir.”

Family helped her out of the deep end

When he was there, she heard a voice say, “You can’t sink any lower, you can only erase everything.” And she succeeded – but only with the help of her family. “In the most difficult months it was always a comfort to return home and find what you had left behind: a large family to take care of me.”

Vittozzi, who largely grew up in her grandparents’ hotel, made a brilliant comeback last season. She was on the podium seven times and won the individual in Ruhpolding (De). “This season has come about through the strength of those who have always known me.”

The 2018 Olympic bronze medalist (mixed relay) was feeling good, happy and stronger than before. “More so because I realized that the things that really matter have never changed.” (che)

Source : Blick