Italy's Giacomel aims to make the most of Boe's absence at Milano Cortina

STOCKHOLM, Jan 20 : The retirement of dominant Norwegian Johannes Thingnes Boe has left the men's biathlon field for the 2026 Winter Olympics wide open, and Italian fans will be hoping that the in-form Tommaso Giacomel can seize the moment in Milano Cortina.

Boe blew away the field four years ago in Beijing, winning four gold medals in the six men's biathlon events he took part in, but his decision to quit the sport at the end of last season has opened the door for Giacomel, who is currently the world's top-ranked male biathlete. 

"He (Giacomel) has shown that he is capable of it in the last few weeks but it won't be easy," Swedish former Olympic champion Mona Brorsson, who will cover the Games as an expert commentator for broadcaster SVT, told Reuters. 

"He's really fast on the shooting range and that's important, it's a strength he has. But an Olympics at his home venue, we'll see how he handles it and if he can handle the mental pressure."

The 35-year-old Brorsson, who won a silver medal in the relay at her first Olympics in Pyeongchang in 2018 before going on to win gold in the same event four years later, said that the Italians were peaking at the right time for the Olympic competitions.

"The whole Italian team has made a clear leap this year, even the biathletes who don't have a chance at the podium but they've really improved, especially on the women's side - if they have a day where everything works out, they could win a medal in a relay," Brorsson said. 

Combining skiing and shooting, biathlon has its roots in the military training done by Norwegian soldiers and the nation has long been a dominant force, but the retirement of Boe has seen a shift in the sport's power dynamics.

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