Winter Olympics briefing: Italy’s blades of glory deliver a lights-out performance

Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti thrashed the world record-holders, world champions and favourites

The noise at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium has been through the roof every time a competitor in Italian blue has appeared on the ice. It was no different on Tuesday with the roar of the crowd powering the host nation to another gold medal.

Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti thrashed the world record-holders, world champions and favourites Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepuran of the US to win the men’s team pursuit gold medal in speed skating. Buoyed by raucous cheering from the home crowd, the Italians won their country’s first Olympic title in this event since the Turin Games in 2006, beating the Americans by a whopping 4.51sec – a lifetime in speed skating. Giovannini even hit the NBA point guard Steph Curry’s trademark ‘night-night’ celebration as he crossed the finish line to signify this truly was a lights-out performance. How many hours, days and weeks had he dreamt of that moment? Continue reading...