Short TrackShort Track - Sochi 2014
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The Valtellina (and consequently Italy) with shoes does not want to stop to give satisfaction. But this time, the credit must be given to the valley territorial Lombard represented by a relay that is bronze. A valley that works and goes fast, so fast that in a few days back home, along with the triumphs of Fontana, four other beautiful bronze medals. And this time there are plenty of thrills in the final of the women's relay. The quartet formed by all the Valtellina Arianna Fontana, Lucia Peretti, Martina Valcepina and Elena Viviani wins a place in the glory of the Olympic short track. So, after eight years, the Italian relay equals the Torino 2006 (in which, however, also ran Fountain).
Tuesday 18 February 2014 4 minutes reading time
A joy came after a new fall and new thrills Iceberg Palace in Sochi. A bronze that seemed blurred due to foreclosure (fortunately not confirmed after the arrival) for blue to play for the final podium. The gold goes to the favored Korea (Cho, Park, Shim and Kim triumph with a time of 4'09'' 498) in front of Canada. But it is crucial to disqualification of the relay of China, according to the finish, but penalized by the judges after the hectic final fight with the Koreans. Italy passes so a few seconds of regret for what might have been, the reality from the podium.
Race tense since before the start. Witness the false start of the Korean (the Park). Valcepina, Fountain, Peretti and Viviani remain in the race for any outcome. As long as the fountain falls to -12 laps from the 3000 meters final. Italy loses a turn. But the dynamic is at least suspect: Shim is in front of the blue star after his shift: the Asian extends a leg and puts himself in the path of the Valtellina, which was launching Peretti. Italy hopelessly lost (at least this is the feeling mixed with immediate certainty) the possibility of reaching medal in last place. Too far from the top three teams. But the short track races never end. The beauty and the uncertainty of the sport is condensed in the desire to never give up. So after the final sprint Korea-China decided by the overwhelming power of Shim Suk-Hee, judges punish China. The blue pass from deep sorrow to joy for a result that was in the ropes of a team that has been working for more than four years and has gradually climbed the rankings to the sound of the results. A result shared with the engineers, but especially with Cecilia Maffei, expert baton of reserve which unfortunately can not pick up the bronze, because it fell on the ice between the semifinal and final. The regulation is clear.
With the bronze medal in the relay, also, Arianna Fontana officially joined the most successful in the history of Italian in the Games. The arrow Valtellina reaches its fifth medal at the Olympic Winter Games (the third in Sochi in 2014), equaling the haul of a huge winter sports like Gabriella Paruzzi. But it may not stop there. Because next Friday you can play a new chance to podium in the 1000 meters, where he qualified in the opening day for the next quarter-finals. Together with partner Martina Valcepina bronze in the relay.
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