Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti recovered almost 7 tenths of a second from the world champions United States in the final and won the 24th medal of this Olympics, the 9th of the most precious metal.
Twenty years after Turin 2006, Italy wins in the team pursuit thanks to Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti who recovered almost 7 tenths of a second from the world champions United States in the final. For the Italy team it is medal number 24, but above all it is the ninth gold demonstrating that in winter sports we are capable of winning in every discipline, both male and female. The great Italian Olympics continues and this time the audience at the Santa Giulia Arena in Milan is dragging the three skating boys along. In all the competition fields of this Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, the fans’ support gave an extra boost to our boys.
The comeback victory
The match repeats the same physiognomy of the Italy-USA clash seen in the preliminaries. In the eight laps needed to complete the 3200 metres the United States starts off strong, a script we’ve already seen, but the Azzurri’s management of the match is perfect. They let the Americans go without giving them too much of an advantage, at 1400 meters the USA is ahead by 68 cents but from then on the blue comeback was inexorable. The Americans’ advantage diminishes lap after lap and at 2200 they are already in front. The ending is obvious with Italy increasing their lead and finishing with even 4″51. The party can begin: Ghiotto, Giovannini and Malfatti go to embrace the magician Maurizio Marchetto, 70 year old Italian technical director and absolute guru of the discipline. He was already there twenty years ago in Turin, then he led the conquest of gold Enrico Fabris (today among those responsible for the Olympic oval at Rho Fiera), Matteo Anesi (now Marchetto’s deputy) e Ippolito Sanfratello (since 2015 general secretary of Federghiaccio). Twenty years later the scene is the same, everyone embracing Marchetto, like a real family.
