by Giorgio La Bruzzo
CORTINA (ITALPRESS) – Let us say the truth: a departure so maybe even the most optimistic if they expected it. Milan-Cortina is immediately blue: Francesca Lollobrigida takes gold on 3000 speed skating, at Bormio downhill Giovanni Franzoni is silver, while Dominik Paris puts the bronze on his neck.
On the day of his 35th birthday, the “Lollo” is made the best possible gift, subverting every pronostic and dominating on the ice of the Speed Skating Stadium in Milan, with so much Olympic record (3’54′′28) and leaving the crumbs to rivals. “Being a mother-atleta and winning in front of your son is the maximum – the original skater of the Roman Castles, which four years ago had taken silver, in addition to the bronze of the mass start – I did not want to choose between being a mother and dedicating myself to sports. I took a break, then I left immediately for the gathering.” Yet she had come to the Games between general skepticism. “This year I wanted a perfect season, but it was the worst of my life: I cried, I wanted to retire because I didn’t want to get to Milan in those conditions after a virus that had prostrated me. My husband, my family and the Federation have asked me not to give up and not stop, and they have succeeded.” Fortunately: the first historic triumph for women for long-distance skating at the Olympics, signed by the athlete of the Aeronautica Militare.
In the morning, however, it was the Stelvio track to inaugurate the Italian medallist: Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris showed up at the gate with high expectations and did not disappoint, surrendering only to the Swiss Von Allmen, who reissues 20 and 50 cents to the two blues respectively. “At the beginning of the season I never imagined to win at Kitzbuehel and to make podium at the Olympics, I must thank those who were close to me”, admits the 24-year-old financier, whose dedication could only be for the lost friend Matteo Franzoso, who died last September after a fall in training in Chile. “I managed to transform this tragic event into an incredible energy that pushes me into every race to give the most.” If Franzoni was at his first Olimpiade, Paris knew he had the last chance to finally win a medal and which best place of Bormio, where he won 7 times in the World Cup, of which you are downhill: “I had tried so many times, it is a beautiful medal, I managed to make a nice dream”, the words of the 36-year-old Meranian Carabiniere.
Too bad for Ian Matteoli in the big air: fatal error in the first run and fifth final place. The double mix of curling composed by Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini took another defeat (4-9 with Sweden) but in the evening he managed to tick it on Norway (6-5) and remains running for medals. Maria Gassliter excites the last place available in the final slopestyle (but not Miro Tabanelli) while the blues of hockey fail the bis and surrender 6-1 to Sweden, in the final in the team event Italy of figure skating.
But we are only at the first day and Sunday can give other joys: in Cortina there is the female descent with Goggia and Brignone, the mixed bracket of the biathlon composed of Giacomel, Hofer, Wierer and Vittozzi points to the big target, while the Italy of snowboard has many cards to play in the parallel giant slalom. And also an eye to the sled, where Dominik Fischnaller – already bronze three years ago – is third after the first two runs, and at the bottom skiathlon with the Olympic debut of Federico Pellegrino.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
