Curling, Italy men bronze at the World Championships, first time on the podium

An Italy to scream: there is the enterprise of the men’s national curling team to symbolically close the rich winter of tricolor winter sports and to officially launch the four-year period that will lead to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics.

What a season

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Joel Retornaz and his companions, in Las Vegas, sign an unprecedented result. Climbing on the podium and winning a bronze (first medal in 63 years of history of the event) which confirms the growth of the movement, this season with the same national team capable of achieving a similar result at the end of November at the Lillehammer European Championships and then winning participation at the Tokyo Games where Amos Mosaner, column of the group and Stefania Constantini, were even gold in the mixed doubles.

The tournament

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The first men’s world championship, in Scotland, dates back to 1959 and since then there has been only one stop, that of 2020 for Covid: the Azzurri, as a more prestigious result, boasted a fifth place, that of Deluth, in Minnesota, always in the United States, in 1976. Now this exploit, after the seventh place last season. Signed by coach Claudio Pescia and his boys: Retornaz himself (Fiamme Oro), leader of the team since Turin 2006, Sebastiano Arman (revelation of the tournament), Simone Gonin (himself almost a veteran) and Mosaner (all of the ‘Aeronautica), with Mattia Giovanella (CC Cembra 88) reserve. Italy, third in the round robin with a balance of 8-4, closing with five consecutive victories, in the semifinals was then defeated (8-4) by the five-circle gold Sweden who, in the Italian night, will challenge Canada for the title . Until the triumph (13-4) in the final third place over the hosts, at the end of a match without history (4-0 at the 1st end, 7-3 at the 5th, 11-3 at the seventh, with a partial 6-0 and an eighth hand played only for signing honor, with all the stones thrown away). Yes, it is the year of tricolor curling.