Olympic biathlete undergoes heart surgery after withdrawing from race mid-competition

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An Olympic athlete was forced to undergo heart surgery after withdrawing from a race at Milan Cortina. 

Italian biathlete Tommaso Giacomel decided not to participate in the 15-kilometer mass start due to breathing issues.

"A subsequent electrophysiological study revealed an atrial conduction abnormality, which recommended a subsequent ablation, which has already been performed and was a complete success," the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) announced Tuesday. 

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Tommaso Giacomel of Team Italy looks on before the Men's 15km Mass Start on day 14 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Livigno Snow Park on Feb. 20, 2026, in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy.  (Grega Valancic/VOIGT/GettyImages)

"Tommaso will be discharged on Thursday morning and will undergo further scheduled checks in two weeks. Once completed, he will be allowed to return to regular training."

Giacomel wrote on his Instagram story that he was "gutted" that his season was "over."

"I’m okay - if I can say I am okay when I had to DNF while I was leading an Olympic race…" Giacomel wrote in an Instagram post last week with a photo of himself from a hospital bed.

Tommasso Giacomel of Italy prepares to shoot at the Olympics. (Hendrik Schmidt/picture alliance via Getty Images)

"Right after the second prone my body somehow stopped working properly and I was really struggling to breath and to move, therefore I had to stop. Worst feeling I have ever experienced in my life so far. I tried to ski really slow the first part of the third lap but my body wasn’t allowing me to ski anymore.

"A lot is going through my head at