Biathlete Jakov Fak decides to finish season early
Ljubljana, 6 February - Slovenia's best biathlete Jakov Fak announced on Monday he would not compete at the Biathlon World Championships starting in Austria's Hochfilzen on Wednesday. He said he was quitting the season early due to persistent health problems.
Pokljuka
Slovenia's best biathlete Jakov Fak.
Photo: Stanko Gruden/STA
Speaking in Ljubljana at a presentation of the Slovenian team preparing for the Hochfilzen World Championships, Fak said he had been struggling this season due to poor health.
After consultations with doctors and his coach, the two-time world champion and holder of an Olympic bronze medal has therefore decided to take some time off to rest before staring preparations for the next Olympic season.
Slovenia will be represented in Hochfilzen by Teja Gregorin, Anja Eržen, Urška poje, Polona Klemenčič, Klemen Bauer, Rok Tršan, Lenart Oblak and Miha Dovžan.
"Unfortunately I'm not going to the Worlds. The problems I'm having are repeating and there's no point in pressing ahead. I need to give my body the rest it needs for the next season, which is even more important, and this one is over for me," Fak told reporters.
He said the decision had been hard to make. "But this will end the bad mood and the constant going around in circles, which has been very exhausting," the 29-year-old athlete added.