Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Sofia Goggia wins gold in the downhill



'Skier Sofia Goggia wins Italy's third winter Olympics gold'

TheLocal.it - February 21, 2018


Italy's Sofia Goggia won Italy's third gold medal in the winter Olympics on Wednesday, thwarting US ski star Lindsey Vonn's bid for a second Olympic downhill gold medal.

Goggia, in bib number five, timed 1min 39.22sec for a first downhill title in the women's blue riband event.

The 25-year-old came in 0.09sec ahead of Norway's giant slalom silver medallist Ragnhild Mowinckel, with Vonn a further 0.42sec adrift.

Goggia made a mistake on the upper part of the polished 2.8km-long Jeongseon course, but produced a magnificent gliding mid-section and strong bottom third.

It reaffirmed the fine form she has shown on the World Cup circuit this season, with two victories and two second places in the downhill, and also second and third placings in the super-G.




Vonn made few errors in her descent, but it was just not enough, Mowinckel providing a surprise factor with her second place after starting 19. After the race Vonn, 33, confirmed that it would be her last Olympic downhill and said: "I gave it all today, skied a great race. Sofia just skied better than I did."

The American has said her friendship with Goggia is based on them both being "100 percent crazy".

The pair embraced at the finish area, Vonn allowing herself a slight look skywards, a sigh and shrug of the shoulders.

A number of contenders struggled down the unforgiving course where the slightest overedge or too much air off the three main jumps left racers straining to make up lost tenths of seconds.

Switzerland's Lara Gut, just a year on from left knee surgery, missed a gate, as did her teammate Jasmine Flury, both racers seeking an extra push and paying the price.

American Alice McKennis, Italy's Nadia Fanchini and Federica Brignone crashed out in spectacular fashion after all three led the first three intermediate times as the sun-kissed course offered hope for the late runners.

The Austrian team also disappointed, their highest ranked skier Ramona Siebenhofer in 10th, a massive 1.76sec off the pace.

Goggia joins snowboarder Michela Moioli and short track speed skater Arianna Fontana as Italy's gold medallists in the 2018 winter Olympics.






 

Sofia Goggia Gold Damen Abfahrt / Gold Women Downhill Interview English / German

Toy Nerd



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Bergamasque Michela Moioli wins gold in the snowboard cross

All three of Italy's gold medalists so far are Lombard women


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'Snowboarder Michela Moioli wins Italy's second Winter Olympics gold'

TheLocal.it - February 16, 2018


The 22-year-old from Bergamo came from behind to pass Lindsay Jacobellis, the American athlete who had led for much of the race, and held steady for the win.

Jacobellis finished fourth, with previous winner Eva Samkova of the Czech Republic in third and France's Julia Pereira in second.

It's the first Olympic gold for Moioli and the second for Italy, following Arianna Fontana's victory in the 500m short-track speed skating.

"Women are women: we have an extra gear. Seeing Arianna win gave me a boost and I said to myself: 'I don't want silver or bronze, I'm here for the gold,'" Moioli said.


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Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Arianna Fontana takes 500M short track gold!



'Arianna Fontana wins 500m gold'

Antonio Salizar - NBColympics.com - February 13, 2018

Arianna Fontana (ITA) is the 500m champion after a photo finish placed her ahead of Choi Min-Jeong (KOR).

Yara van Kerkhoff (NED) finished third in the race.

After the race, the judges penalized Choi for cutting the line promoting van Kerkoff and Kim Boutin (CAN) , to silver and bronze.

This is Fontana's sixth Olympic medal but her first gold. This is also her third medal in this event, winning a bronze in the 500m in Turin 2006 and a silver in Sochi 2014.

Fontana equals Wang Meng (CHN) for the most medals by a woman in short track speed skating.

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Arianna Fontana conquista il primo oro olimpico per l'Italia short track 500mt

Fabrizio Angiolelli


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Arianna Fontana (NBColympics profile)


'Who is Arianna Fontana'




































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Federica Brignone earns bronze in giant slalom

Mikaela Shiffrin's 2018 Olympics off to golden start


The Woman's Downhill Alpine Skiiing (Goggia/Brignone/Fanchini) is apparently covered on Tuesday evening

Olympic.org appears to be the best site for following the games


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More non-congruent ancient symbol banning

'Nazi scandal hits Norwegian Olympic team... because of their woolly jumpers...' (Sara Malim - 1/31/18 - Daily Mail)

There has been more than one political movement during the 20th century, which have used ancient symbols and mass murdered tens of millions of innocent people, and those symbols are never questioned. Now suddenly it's the symbol of the Norse god Tyr. The Othala, featured on the flag of the Langobard nation of our ancestors, is another symbol called out for banning. Neo-pagans sometimes use the sickle as a symbol, which is never questioned as a symbol to ban despite over 200 million death at the hands of political concerns who used this emblem. So far I have not seen where the International Olympic Committee has stated an opinion on this issue; however they have gotten very political in recent years, including banning athletes for promoting even the slightest hint of nationalism.. but only in Western counties. Since international bankers of several different quasi-cultural concerns have funded all major far right and far left political movements in the last 200-plus years... why not just ban them instead of a sweater!?

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Sunday, February 11, 2018

Arianna Fontana - Valtellinese short track speed skater ready for Olympic gold


After having won Olympic bronze in the 5000 meter relay in Torino in 2006 at age 15; bronze in the 500 meter event in Vancouver in 2010; silver in the 500 meter event, bronze in the 1500 meter event, and bronze in the Team event in Sochi in 2014; the 27 year old, 121 pound dynamo from Sondrio seems poised to finally win gold in PyeongChang. Arianna was Italy's flagbearer for Friday evenings' opening ceremony.


Arianna Fontana (Wikipedia)

Arianna Fontana (NBC Olympics)


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Other Lombard Winter Olympians

The majority of current Winter Olympians representing Italy are from the South Tyrol, but with Lombardy well represented.

Maicol Rastelli (cross country skiier; Valtellina)

Yuri Confortola (4th Winter Olympics; short track speed skater; Valtellina)

Lucia Peretti (short track speed skater; Valtellina)

Martina Valcepina (short track speed skater; Valtellina)

Nicole Della Monica (pair skater; Bergamo)

Valentina Marchei (Marchigian/Lombard; figure skater; Milan)

Anna Cappellini (ice dancer; Como)

Luca Lanotte (ice dancer; Milan)

Marco Fabbri (ice dancer; Milan)

Tommaso Dotti (short track speed skater; Milan)

Michela Moioli (snowboarder; Bergamo)


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Nick Baumgartner - Yooper snowboarder in his 3rd Winter games

He's won gold in world championships and winter X Games, but not yet in the Olympics. Iron River is very close to Ironwood (Iron County).




Upper Michigan competitor's hopes for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

NBC 26


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Saturday, February 10, 2018

Nadia Fanchini - Pyeongchang likely last chance to win an Olympic medal for Camunian Alpine skiier


Lovere is considered a part of the Val Camonica. Nadia competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino and 2014 in Sochi, Russia; but nagging injuries have hampered her biggest chances. She has always been spoken of in terms of "potential." After undergoing surgery early last summer, she has rebounded strong this winter; including a bronze medal in the downhill at the World Championships last month in Austria. Fanchini was bested by fellow Italian teammates Sofia Goggia and Federica Brignone; all three Lombards ('Goggia leads Italian sweep at World Cup downhill'). Now 31, it appears that Nadia is poised to make a strong effort in what is probably her last chance at Olympic glory.

Nadia Fanchini (Wikipedia)

Nadia Fanchini (NBC Olympics)

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Other Lombard Alpine skiiers

Sofia Goggia - Budding 25 year old superstar from Bergamo

Federica Brignone - Primed and ready 27 year old from Milan

Irene Curtoni - 32 year old veteran French-born skiier of Valtellinese descent



Bergamasque Sofia Goggia
 
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