The trio of Ghiotto, Giovannini and Malfatti, at the World Single Distance Championships in Calgary, precedes Norway and Canada with the national record (3’35″00)
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good luck
The memories, two years after the Milan-Cortina Games, go back to those of Turin 2006 and the gold of Enrico Fabris, Ippolito Sanfratello and Matteo Anesi. The Italian men’s long track team pursuit, eighteen seasons later, are world champions for the first time. Thanks to Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti, skaters of the Fiamme Gialle, who at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Canada, after last month’s European silver in Heerenveen, put everyone behind them with a great performance. Uniting the two companies is director Maurizio Marchetto, someone who never tires of winning. His deputy? Anesi.
what a race
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The Azzurri, in the last of four series, challenge the fearsome Norway (Eitrem, Kongshaug, Pedersen), fresh continental gold. And, always in front, they also reject host Canada (Howe, Gelinas-Beaulieu, Mayeur), who had been in the lead up until then. The tricolor train finishes in 3’35″00, a national record (with Ghiotto replacing Nicola Tumolero) crumbled by 1″54 (Salt Lake City, 8 December 2017). Norway is second (3’36”07), Canada third (3’36”72). For Italy, in the specialty placed in 2005 and 2008, in 23 world events on individual distances, it is the second title after that of Ghiotto himself won in Heerenveen 2023 over 10,000. The 30-year-old from Vicenza – also a reigning Olympic bronze medalist in the distance and silver in the 5000 meters on Thursday – always dictated the pace yesterday, with Giovannini and Malfatti, 30 and 29 year olds from Trentino, perfect squires. The Azzurri, in five seasonal races, including two second and a third place in the World Cup trials, have never fallen off the podium. Giovannini, on Saturday, will play his individual cards in the “his” Mass Start. Ghiotto will try to defend the gold in the 10,000 on Sunday. The future, including the Italian Games and of course without forgetting Francesca Lollobrigida, is all blue.