Italy’s athletes shine on the Milan Cortina Olympics : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3406x2271+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbf%2F15%2F58c851bd4cc8b5a6f1ccda7b46da%2Fap26046490152536.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3406x2271+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbf%2F15%2F58c851bd4cc8b5a6f1ccda7b46da%2Fap26046490152536.jpg" class="img" alt="Sweden's Sara Hector, right, and Norway's Thea Louise Stjernesund bow to Italy's Federica Brignone, center, at the finish area of an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, after Brignone captured another gold medal." fetchpriority="high"/> Sweden's Sara Hector, proper, and Norway's Thea Louise Stjernesund bow to Italy's Federica Brignone, middle, on the end space of an alpine ski, ladies's large slalom race, on the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, after Brignone captured one other gold medal. Jacquelyn Martin/AP/AP disguise caption

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Jacquelyn Martin/AP/AP CORTINA D'AMPEZO, Italy — Name it homefield benefit, name it nationwide pleasure, Italy's athletes are shining gold within the Winter Olympics underway in Milan and the Alps.

Driving excessive on the performances of nationwide stars like Alpine skier Frederica Brignone and velocity skater Francesca Lollobrigida and buoyed by an enormous solid of lesser-known athletes, Italy has outpaced each different nation besides Norway.

At press time, Italians had secured eight gold, 4 silver, and ten bronze medals — a complete of twenty-two medals general. With 5 days to go, that already far exceeds Italy's rely of 17 medals on the final Winter Video games.

"It is unimaginable, as a result of we're in Italy," stated Lollobrigida after successful the primary of two velocity skating medals. "The Olympics are in Italy, that is the dream of my desires."

Italian athletes are clearly conserving an in depth eye on the medal tally — and celebrating their outsized nationwide efficiency.

"We're having an unimaginable [Winter Games], it was everybody's dream," stated Brignone on Sunday, after claiming her second gold, in large slalom, within the mountains above Cortina.

Brignone's efficiency was particularly candy as a result of she suffered a devastating damage whereas snowboarding solely ten months in the past.

"It wasn't simply the tibia, fibula, and a multi-fragment tibial plateau fracture," she stated. "There was additionally an entire knee dislocation, each ligaments have been concerned, ... every part. So it is really a kind of accidents that usually takes greater than two years to recuperate from."

Actually a staff effort for Italy <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7000x4667+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7a%2Fbf%2F4c86fcf84020a8dd7d9e1f4833f9%2Fap26037771133078.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7000x4667+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7a%2Fbf%2F4c86fcf84020a8dd7d9e1f4833f9%2Fap26037771133078.jpg" class="img" alt="Italy athletes take part in the athletes parade during the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Predazzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026." loading="lazy"/> Italy athletes participate within the athletes parade in the course of the Olympic opening ceremony on the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Predazzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Matthias Schrader/AP disguise caption

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Matthias Schrader/AP "We're witnessing one thing historic, for our proficient and extraordinary athletes," stated Giovanni Malagò, an Italian businessman who sits on the Worldwide Olympic Committee.

One undeniable fact that makes Italy's efficiency outstanding is that the nation's medal rely is unfold evenly over all kinds of winter sport disciplines.

Norway, whereas main in gold and general medals, is extremely concentrated in simply two sports activities, biathlon and cross-country snowboarding, which account for 16 of twenty-two medals.

Italy, against this, has racked up sturdy performances in Alpine snowboarding, luge, velocity skating and snowboarding - with surprising contributions in different sports activities.

"It's actually an unimaginable emotion to be on the highest of the rostrum right here at dwelling, in entrance of all these followers, my household, my mates," stated Lisa Vittozi on Sunday, after successful Italy's first-ever gold medal in biathlon. She additionally gained a silver at these Video games.

Dominick Fischnaller, the veteran Italian luge sled racer, has additionally picked up two bronze medals sliding on Italy's model new sled observe, accomplished in Cortina simply in time for the Video games.

"It means rather a lot, for positive. [M]any individuals made it potential that we've such a pleasant observe right here. It was actually vital, and I am very pleased with it," he stated.

Italian veterans retire with new medals There are additionally poignant swan songs underway in Italy as a number of the nation's Olympic veterans have chosen to finish their careers on dwelling snow and ice.

Dorothea Wierer, the winningest biathlete in Italian historical past, introduced she'll retire after these Video games. She's added a silver medal to her assortment with two extra races to go earlier than the Olympics shut.

"It's actually stunning to listen to the Italian nationwide anthem being performed on this stadium and to see so many followers within the stands singing it," Wierer stated.

Speedskater Arianna Fontana has additionally introduced this might be her closing Video games.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9c%2Fc5%2F84b44e6d4043b94c88221a61c184%2Fap26047435762840.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9c%2Fc5%2F84b44e6d4043b94c88221a61c184%2Fap26047435762840.jpg" class="img" alt="Arianna Fontana of Italy prepares for her final during the women's 1000 meter short track speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026." loading="lazy"/> Arianna Fontana of Italy prepares for her closing in the course of the ladies's 1000 meter brief observe velocity skating on the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. Francisco Seco/AP disguise caption

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Francisco Seco/AP "I am fairly pleased with all the alternatives that I've made all through my profession that assist me to be right here right now," she stated, after changing into the primary girl to medal in six consecutive Winter Olympics, capturing gold and bronze.

Cross-country skier Federico Pellegrino can be ending his skilled profession in model.

"One other probability like it will by no means occur once more," he stated, after successful a bronze medal in a staff relay race on Sunday. "An Olympics in your house nation is one thing that all of us had right now after which (for us) by no means once more."