ANTERSELVA, Italy, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Hometown hero Dorotea Wierer did her part in delivering a silver medal in Sunday's mixed relay that lifted the hearts of biathlon fans in northern Italy, heralding her second place as if she had won gold.
The 35-year-old first lady of Italian biathlon skied the third of four legs and shot clean to set Lisa Vittozzi off on the final leg. Though Vittozzi could not catch eventual winners France, she easily held off the challenge of Germanyto claim the silver medal.
"It's crazy - you know, I was so nervous today, I was shaking before the race, and I was so much under pressure," said Wierer, who grew up a stone's throw from the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena where the Olympic events are being held.
"But, you know, I was under pressure also because I know that we have a really good team and we have some chance for the medal. My legs were feeling so heavy, and I was just trying to focus as good as possible," she told Reuters.
JOY IN THE SOUTH TYROL
Each of the four team members, two men and two women, skied three laps of the two-kilometre course, stopping off twice at the shooting range and firing five shots each time in one of the ultimate Olympic tests of endurance and nerve.
When it was all over, the vast majority of the fans in the grandstand braved the freezing temperatures and stayed on to see the medal ceremony, with the Italian fans roaring their approval as Wierer's name was read out and the silver medal draped around her neck.
The South Tyrol region is a hotbed of biathlon, and local fans have been longing to see Wierer - known to them simply as "Doro" - in action at the Olympics, creating extra pressure for her to manage.
"It was not easy to handle, but it's really great to get a medal in the first (Olympic) competition," she said.
"I'm so happy for our team and for all the people who are working behind the scenes for us, it's a really nice beginning (to the Games), because it's not easy at home."
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
