A biathlete at the Winter Olympics has undergone heart surgery just days after pulling out of his event mid-race. Tommaso Giacomel, representing Italy, was leading the 15km mass start but was forced to stop after struggling with breathing and movement problems. An electrical conduction anomaly in one of his heart atria was later discovered by medics.

Giacomel has since had minor ablation surgery, a procedure used to treat irregular heart rhythms. In a statement, the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) said the operation had "already been performed and was a complete success". They added that Giacomel would be discharged on Thursday morning but would have further checks in two weeks and must rest until then.

The 25-year-old issued a statement of his own via Instagram, simply writing: "My season is over. Gutted." He previously said he was devastated after having to drop out of his race at the Winter Olympics as he recounted the frightening experience.

He said: "I'm okay, if I can say I am okay when I had to DNF while I was leading an Olympic race. Right after the second prone my body somehow stopped working properly and I was really struggling to breathe and to move, therefore I had to stop.

"Worst feeling I have ever experienced in my life so far. I tried to ski really slow the first part of the third lap but my body wasn't allowing me to ski anymore.

"A lot is going through my head at the moment... frustration, anger, disappointment... it's devastating. It's devastating to stop but there wasn't anything I could do against my own body today.

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

"Absolutely not the end of the games I was hoping for but I will never give up. Four years fly by fast and I will try again in France.

"I will do some medical checks the next days to find out what went wrong today.. I'll keep you posted. Thank you for the tremendous support."

Giacomel will be able to return to regular training if he is deemed fit when he is checked over in a fortnight's time. However, his recovery timeframe means he would miss the next stage of the World Cup in Finland.

He is second in the overall standings, having won four individual World Cup races so far this season, behind only French rival Eric Perrot.

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page.