Behind Biathletes’ Success: The Work of a World Cup Physiotherapist

When one thinks about the job of a physiotherapist on the biathlon tour, the picture that comes to mind is probably a massage bed, white sheets, and on-going manipulation. However, the role of a physiotherapist on the BMW IBU World Cup tour is way more complex and diversified than that. Frank Rizzo, one of the physios of the Swedish team, allowed us to follow him during his work routine in Ruhpolding, giving us a glimpse of the important role they play in the success of biathletes: from morning activation, to warm up and support before the competitions, ending with evening manipulations and specific workouts for long-term recovery and injury prevention.