Italy's 30th medal came from speed skating, a sport that has provided so much success at these Olympics. Andrea Giovannini made a splash in the sprint and took third place in the mass start. Francesca Lollobrigida, however, failed to secure a third medal, finishing fourth in the final speed skating event. These were, however, historic Olympics for her, with two gold medals in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters.
Born in Trento in 1993, Giovannini won bronze with a breathtaking sprint finish at the ice rink in Milan's Rho, outlasting American Jordan Stoltz, one of the favorites. This is his second medal at these Games, following the gold he won in the team pursuit.
"A bronze medal that's truly worth its weight in gold," said the Italian skater, who grew up on the ice of Lake Baselga di Pinè, a place that nurtures talent. "I have immense respect for Stolz, but precisely because of his immense talent, beating him is a bronze medal worth its weight in gold; it fills me with pride."
Now his priority is to get back to his family after his Olympic success, and who knows if he'll decide to attend the next Winter Games as well. If the sprint events were held in Turin, "that would be a plus," he explained. "We'll wait for the decision and see."
After finishing thirteenth in the 1500m, Lollobrigida was aiming to finish the Games on a high note, but she had to settle for a podium finish. The mass start, she had said, is a complex race where strategy is calculated second by second, and she was the only Italian, which didn't help her gain ground. "Because it's a group race, it's very unpredictable. I made the mistake of maybe starting the sprint first," she said with a hint of disappointment. Her two-year-old son and husband, who had returned for the grand finale, were still in the stands watching. "I still have the World Championships, and then I want to enjoy being a wife and a mother," she said, emotional . She's been overcome with emotions; she's won two historic gold medals in what will most likely be her last Olympics. Now, at 35, she's looking to the near future with the World Championships, "and then I want to think about my family."
And who knows, maybe there'll be a Sanremo stage appearance first. "I have to see if I can nail it," she explained. "Obviously, we in speed skating are happy about it, because it's also a way to get our sport talked about again." Lollobrigida has become famous not only for her sporting successes but also as a mother and athlete . "I wanted to show that you can reconcile being a mother and returning to the highest level," she said. The warmth of the crowd and the spotlight on a sport that is sometimes forgotten are the things she'll take home from these Games, along with the two gold medals. "The world of sport is now my world, so I will always be a part of it," she concluded.
(Unioneonline)
