This time it wasn’t a triumphal march but a thriller soundtrack at the end: but then it only matters how it ends, with the gold, the anthem and everything. Halfway through the race, the skating of Francesca Lollobrigida, to whom Fc dedicates the cover on newsstands, began to break down, no longer as fluid as in the first half of the 5000 meterswithout the reference of those who skated next to her – too far back to represent a significant unit of measurement -, on the last lap the pendulum got stuck, the metronome in her brain clashed with her racing heartbeat.
A grin froze the face of this eternal girl, to whom motherhood gave a second youth, more successful than the first: this is what sport is all about, hard workand at least here it is not necessary as in other disciplines to freeze it behind a facade smile.
You can see the advantage gradually diminish, burning out like a candle until the finish line, -10 cents from the reserve. It’s enough for the grimace to turn into a smilethe radiant smile that we already saw five days ago.
«It was also Federica Brignone’s gold that gave me the energy, she will tell at the end, because it confirmed to me the fact that they can tell you that it is impossible, maybe you too believe that it is impossible, but only we really know how to make things possible».
«On the starting line I knew I had to do the personal time, I had 6:50, they did 6:46, but I didn’t want to put pressure on myself, I started very determined, I wanted to have fun: the 5,000 is different from the 3,000. With my coaches we had a plan: I had to respect the times, if I wanted to win it, I had to look more at the lap times, I knew that the Dutchman had done two beautiful final laps, I gave everything. I wanted the help of the public and the warmth and it really helped me a lot. I was lucky to finish on the inside, at the last corner I squeezed everything out because in my head, I liked the idea of confirming the World Championship result over a distance, I used it as a strong point: the plan went smoothly.”
Of the days spent between one gold and another he says: «They were beautiful days emotionally, but I was too worried, I couldn’t sleep and for me sleep is fundamental; I was getting nervous because I wanted to get back into concentration and so I asked to postpone the interviews because I wanted to get back into concentration.”
No one to run to afterward, though: Tommy isn’t there this time. There was a carnival party in kindergarten, and at two and a half years old, respectfully speaking about mother’s gold, you have other priorities.
But Francesca Lollobrigida’s first thought is there: she doesn’t have time to brake her skates and runs to get her cell phone with the case full of stickers like those of teenagers, on her lips we read: “Hello love”, the recipient of the video call is unmistakable. Francesca Lollobrigida skates in an ellipsoidal orbit, because skating rinks are made like that, but at the center there is always her very personal sun, which rose on May 26, 2023. So lively that it takes the galaxy of an entire family to keep it at bay.
