A super-happy Lora Hristova, boosted by praise from home legend Dorothea Wierer, claimed Individual bronze for Bulgaria — and her joy was utterly contagious. She had the coaching legend Wolfgang Pichler in her corner, who knew both what she was capable of and how to prepare her.

Lora Hristova, with 13th place from the Individual at the BMW IBU World Championships Lenzerheide 2025 as her career-best achievement before the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, came to Antholz with one great man trusting her talent and his many-times-proven system. And on a day when all the big favourites — except the in-form Julia Simon and Lou Jeanmonnot — faltered, Lora rose to the occasion, winning a bronze medal in the Individual, shooting 20/20 as only one of three athletes.

One of the best medals for Wolfgang Pichler

“This is one of the best medals I have ever achieved as a coach. We are a no-name team, we don’t have big technical support, but we have great people and we work hard. I knew the team was in good shape. These are my 10th Olympic Winter Games as a coach and I know that my system of training works. I brought the Swedish team to the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in a similar position. And then we stunned everyone. So, I was quite sure of Lora’s chances. Plus, we had luck, but one always needs luck to achieve great things.” said Wolfgang Pichler.

They both knew

Under Pichler's guidance, Hanna Oeberg was 22 years old when she won a gold medal in the Individual at PyeongChang 2018. So was Hristova, winning her bronze in Milano Cortina 2026. If Wolfgang knew then, he knew now - and so did Lora. She knew she was capable of clearing all 20 targets on one of the moodiest and trickiest shooting ranges in biathlon. She knew she could ski faster than she had for most of the 2025/2026 season before coming to Antholz-Anterselva. She knew she was ready to compete at high altitude. The rest was technical execution—and staying in the moment.

“After I cleared the last target, I told myself to forget about the shooting, the closed 20 targets, to actually not think about anything else but skiing the best possible final loop,” said the 22-year-old, the first Bulgarian to win an Olympic medal since Irina Nikulchina won bronze in the Pursuit at the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Half an hour later, with a medal around her neck, she let the emotions fly freely.

Photo: Ola Wizor