“I hardly slept for three or four days”: Wierer comments on ZDF about biathlon Zoff

The not entirely voluntary resignation of her teammate made Dorothea Wierer very angry.

On ZDF she talks about the biathlon Zoff.

Update from January 19, 3:59 p.m .:

Dorothea Wierer started her home weekend with a win in the sprint – and also commented on ZDF about the Zoff about her retired friend and teammate Federica Sanfilippo.

The not entirely voluntary From Sanfilippos hit her very hard: “I had three or four days when I hardly slept.

I grew up with her, she's my best friend.

I was very, very disappointed there," she said in an interview with the German broadcaster.

In addition to the frustration at the end of her friend, she was happy about her first win of the season: “Really cool, on the podium at home.

I didn't think it would work out so well today.

It's nice to be here again.

I haven't been here since October."

Biathlon dispute in the Italian team: Wierer's best friend "excluded"

First report from January 19:

Anterselva - In the middle of the season and shortly before the home World Cup, Federica Sanfilippo announced her retirement from biathlon.

But at the race in Antholz, South Tyrol, the Italian would not have been in her country's squad anyway, which is also the reason for her resignation.

In the course of a public attack on the people involved by Sanfilippo friend Dorothea Wierer, Klaus Höllrigl, sports director of the Italian biathletes, now sees himself forced to make a tight-lipped statement.

Wierer is "very, very bitter and disappointed"

Dorothea Wierer (32) and Federica Sanfilippo (32) started biathlon together 23 years ago and were inseparable from an early age, and not just in sporting matters.

The two share a deep friendship, so it's no wonder Wierer isn't thrilled that Sanfilippo is no longer by her side in the Biathlon World Cup.

In a post on social media, Wierer reports on the dream of “participating in the home Olympics (2026 in Trentino South Tyrol, editor’s note) together.”

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Federica Sanfilippo and Dorothea Wierer are also close friends outside of sport.

© Instagram/dorothea_wierer

This dream must now be shelved, which also leaves its mark on Wierer.

"I am very, very bitter and disappointed," the successful biathlete gives an insight into her emotional state in view of the current developments.

For Sanfilippo, the resignation seems inevitable.

"It's not easy to feel left out.

But I still had to fight back and make the hardest decision of my career," Sanfilippo said in an interview with

.

Wierer hands out against those “who are now in charge”.

Wierer, on the other hand, can understand the consequences of Sanfilippo very well, who suspects more than just purely sporting reasons in the decision about the World Cup squad in Antholz.

"It's not easy for me to accept what happened to you.

I think you didn't deserve to be treated like that and I don't think you got the chances you deserved," Wierer said meaningfully in her Instagram post, which has almost 50,000 likes.

Check out this post on Instagram

A post shared by ᴰᴼᴿᴼᵀᴴᴱᴬ ᵂᴵᴱᴿᴱᴿ ️️ (@dorothea_wierer)

In her further explanations she becomes clearer, but without naming names.

"You never got along well with the people who are in charge now, and it couldn't have been any other way," she addresses her word to Sanfilippo, but others may feel addressed.

One of the addressees should be Klaus Höllrigl, who only took over the position of biathlon sports director in the Italian Ski Association before this season.

Höllrigl cautious – Sanfilippo switches to cross-country skiing

Klaus Höllrigl has so far reacted cautiously to the attack on his person carried out via social media.

He only gave a brief statement to the rainews.it portal.

"It's not our style to respond to stories on social media.

Rather, we look for a personal conversation in order to clear up any misunderstandings.”

For Federica Sanfilippo, winter sports are not quite over yet.

On January 21st and 22nd she will compete in the cross-country skiing world cup in Livigno, Switzerland.

The 32-year-old already demonstrated her cross-country skiing skills without a rifle on her back on December 31, 2022 in Val Müstair (Switzerland) at the Tour de Ski.

There she finished 27th and was the best Italian.