Italian biathlete Tommaso Giacomel underwent heart surgery after pulling out of the 15km mass start event last Friday at the Olympics due to breathing issues, the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) announced Tuesday.
“A subsequent electrophysiological study revealed an atrial conduction abnormality, which recommended a subsequent ablation, which has already been performed and was a complete success,” FISI said in a statement, as translated by Google. “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.”
The injury will keep Giacomel, 25, from competing for some time, and he expressed his dismay to his Instagram Story on Tuesday story: “My season is over. Gutted.”
Giacomel reportedly had been leading the field when he exited the 30-person competition, which ultimately would be won by Norway’s Johannes Dale-Skjevdal.
He noted in an Instagram post that featured a shirtless shot of him in the hospital how he attempted to ski “slow” during the initial part of the third lap, but his body did not cooperate.
The Italian previously won a silver medal in the team relay, and described in his Instagram post the frustration of not being able to finish the competition.
“I’m okay – if I can say I am okay when I had to DNF while I was leading an olympic race… 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,” Giacomel wrote. “Worst feeling I have ever experienced in my life so far.
“A lot is going through my head at the moment… frustration, anger, disappointment… It’s devastating. It’s devastating to stop but there wasn’t anything I could do against my own body today. Absolutely not the end of the games I was hoping for but I will never give up. 4 years fly by fast and I will try again in France.”
Italy, the host nation, finished third with 30 medals, three behind the United States and 11 behind Norway.
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