Iva Moric returned from the 2022 Junior World Championships with three medals. She was considered a rising star on the German team. But health setbacks slowed her progress and she now competes for Croatia in the World Cup. Her story is one about why it’s worth it to keep going.

When Moric was eight years old, two Croatian biathletes gave her a racing suit in Ruhpolding. At the time, she had no idea that she would one day become a biathlete, let alone compete for her parents’ home country. She wore the Croatian uniform in her first youth races, and she’s now competing in those colors again on the World Cup circuit. But a lot has happened along the way.

Moric has Croatian roots, to which she has always felt a strong connection. She speaks the language, has often spent her vacations by the Adriatic Sea, and identifies with Croatian culture. She inherited her love of sports from her father. She was already on cross-country skis at the age of five, but that alone wasn’t enough for her; she found shooting more exciting and thus embarked on a path in competitive sports. “I was never the type to make huge leaps. But my performance has always shown steady, linear progress,” says the 22-year-old. The first major goal on her journey: the 2022 Junior World Championships in Soldier Hollow.

The 2022 Junior World Championships as a Turning Point

“I did everything I could to make it to these World Championships. They were my first international races—and in the U.S., no less. I couldn’t really believe it until I stepped off the plane.” Moric didn’t let her excitement show during the races, as she won a total of three medals.

“I knew what to expect during the race, but I didn’t know what to expect at the finish line. It was a completely new situation—suddenly having won medals. The village where my Croatian family lives watched all the races via livestream and cheered me on.”

Moric fondly looks back on her days in the U.S., but they also took their toll. She contracted COVID-19 and didn’t recover from the effects until late summer. The following season, she had to watch the Junior World Championships on TV and cope with a devastating blow: her mother’s cancer diagnosis. “I’m very glad that my mom is doing better today. While she was sick, I couldn’t focus on the sport.”

Her personal worries also made her wonder whether a career in sports was still the right path for her. Quitting was a possibility; her teammates on the German team seemed too far removed from her.

A Fresh Start Under a New Banner

In 2025, Moric decided to change her nationality and compete for Croatia. “I realised that in recent years I’ve made a lot of decisions just to please others. Now I wanted to do something for myself,” she explains. The switch in national teams brings her new freedoms, but also a different kind of responsibility. “I organise my own training. I plan my training camps, no longer have a permanent training base, and rarely see my teammates. But that suits me—I’ve always been something of a lone wolf.”

She has learned to rely on herself and to recognise her strengths again. Her fresh start on the Croatian team has given her new motivation to pour all her energy into the sport. “The past three years have been tough for me. I was afraid of making mistakes and of not being good enough. Now I’m enjoying biathlon again, and I look forward to crossing the finish line in every race.”

It was especially emotional for her in January 2026 during her World Cup debut in Ruhpolding. “It was incredibly wonderful to be able to race in the World Cup for the first time in Ruhpolding, where I grew up. Competing in front of such a large crowd was indescribable. Everyone treated me with respect, even though I no longer compete for Germany. I took a selfie with everyone who asked for one.”

These positive feelings help Moric stay motivated in her daily training and focus on her next goal: the 2028 World Championships in Hochfilzen.

Photos: IBU I archive, private