Beijing Olympics, snowboard: Fischnaller is close to the feat. The dream of the medal fades

Our correspondent Paolo Marabini

February 8
– Beijing

You can bet that we will see it also in Milan-Cortina 2026. Of course, perhaps it will not be the same thing. But Roland Fischnaller is certainly not the type to give up like this, even if he is already 41 years and 4 months old, even if he already has a thousand battles under his feet, the salt pepper beard. The South Tyrolean, the most successful snowboarder in Italian history who still lacked – indeed, still lacks – only the joy of the Olympic medal is a burning fourth place. Fourth in the parallel giant won by the Austrian Karl, who knocked him out in the semifinals, before the Russian Wild did the same in the final for the bronze.

A breath

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It matters little that it is his best result ever at the Games, he who had made his 21-year-old debut in Salt Lake City – too inexperienced to aspire to a prestigious result – and then had tried and tried again, always hitting his head: Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018. Results always growing, but nothing to do: red disk every time. Because the Olympics can also be an ugly beast. And you want to put 6 medals on the plate at the World Championships, with the pearl of gold in parallel slalom won seven years ago. You want to show off 19 victories and 44 podiums in the World Cup, or the many crystal balls that are displayed in his house in Vilpiano. You want to say that in Beijing you became the fourth Italian athlete to cross the finish line of 6 participations in the Winter Games, like fellow countrymen Wilfried Huber, Armin Zoeggeler and Gerda Weissensteiner. What matters is the Olympic medal. But even before leaving he had said: “Whatever happens, I want to get to Milan-Cortina. And it won’t be to be a tourist. My passion drives me, as long as there is that I go on. Because I do the most beautiful sport in the world. world and I don’t know what the word sacrifice is. ”

Floors

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A battle cry, which today takes on the contours of the proclamation of ransom. Another four years of running up, driven by his wife and his three children – Maria, Heidi and Florian – who had designed his helmet with the colors of the medals. And certainly today they will have had a sad face. His mission will be to satisfy their dream.