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An Olympic athlete was forced to undergo heart surgery after withdrawing from a race in Milan Cortina.
Italian biathlete Tommaso Giacomel decided not to participate in the 15-kilometer mass start due to respiratory problems.
“A subsequent electrophysiological study revealed an atrial conduction abnormality, which recommended subsequent ablation, which has already been carried out and which was a complete success,” the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) announced on Tuesday.
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Tommaso Giacomel of Team Italy looks on before the mass start of the Men’s 15km on day 14 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Livigno Snow Park on February 20, 2026 in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy. (Grega Valancic/VOIGT/GettyImages)
“Tommaso will be released on Thursday morning and will undergo further checks scheduled 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 fine – if I can say I’m fine when I had to drop out while 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/photo alliance via Getty Images)
“Right after the second lap my body stopped working properly and I was really having trouble breathing and moving so I had to stop. It was the worst feeling I have ever felt in my life so far. I tried to ski very slowly during the first part of the third lap but my body wouldn’t allow me to ski anymore.
“A lot of things are going through my head right now… frustration, anger, disappointment… It’s devastating. It’s devastating to stop but I couldn’t do anything about my own body today. It’s definitely not the end of the matches I was hoping for but I’ll never give up. 4 years are flying by and I’m going to try again in France. I’ll have medical checks over the next few days to find out what went wrong today. I’ll keep you posted current. Thank you for your tremendous support.”
Tommaso Giacomel of Team Italy in action during the Men’s 12.5km Pursuit on the ninth day of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Anterselva Biathlon Arena on February 15, 2026, in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy. (Kevin Voigt/Getty Images)
Earlier in the Games, Giacomel won a silver medal in the mixed relay. He has three other world championship silver medals and five Biathlon World Cup victories.
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