Overview
- Leitner announced his retirement on October 13 via Instagram, signing off with the message "Ciao und Baba."
- The former junior standout earned multiple world junior medals and a 2021 Oberhof mass start podium before recent physical and mental struggles and the loss of his ÖSV squad status.
- Reports note his exit accelerates a generational shift in Austria's team, where 42-year-old Simon Eder remains the primary experienced competitor.
- Italian star Dorothea Wierer says her preparation has brought extreme highs and lows and that her energy feels depleted, yet she plans a final campaign targeting Olympic gold in 2026.
- Wierer expects to gauge her form once the World Cup opens on November 29 in Östersund, saying she will need a few races to regain rhythm.