He has a big smile Francesca Lollobrigida when he welcomes, via Zoom, into his home. This is the first thing she notices, but it only takes a moment to realize that she is not alone. Behind her are the wedding photos, the turning point, stability as the blue skater tells who in Beijing 2022 won Italy’s first and last medal at the Winter Games: silver in the 3,000 meters and bronze in the mass start speed skating competition. Having carried the flag at her closing ceremony, the Roman athlete returned to Italy and left immediately to win her third World Cup in the mass start.
The synthesis of Lollo’s life in skating lies here between travel and stability: a house to be built after years spent away between retreats and training abroad. “This year has been a long, very long journey. My sport, not having facilities in Italy open all year round, leads us to stay away often: three weeks in retreat and a home. I got married on July 3 (with Matteo Angeletti who is also a skater and athletic trainer ed) and on the 5th I was already in a rally in Poland to skate on the ice. I was trying to get home for at least 24 or 48 hours even if that involved driving hours. From Germany to August 15th it took me 15 hours. I spent New Year’s Eve in Baselga di Piné only with my husband ».
All between pads and masks.
“Double masks and I was also monitoring my husband. I avoided everything, even the hairdresser to keep the bubble ».
At the Olympics she gave the idea of being extremely calm: impression or reality?
«50s and 50s. I was calm because in classic distances it’s all mathematics: if you ride in training at certain times it is normal that you do not invent anything in the race. After the first medal I was very happy, but they took me: award ceremony, press, anti-doping. I went back one night and had one day for the next. I lost the podium by 34 cents. For the mass start, however, there was a bit of agitation. I couldn’t count only on the times in my favorite race and I spent days on the phone with my psychologist since then I spent almost all the time in the room we went out only for competitions, training and meals made on the fly, for safety ».
How important was the help of the psychologist?
«He has always followed me now, it was very important. He knows me in training and me in competition. I consider him a confidant, a friend. He has had the opportunity to study me and knows how to take me. Everything was fundamental: my husband, my coach, my father, my family, even the cats. The medals, even if it is not an individual sport, are not mine alone: they belong to a team ».
It could be said of a family.
“Yes, it matters a lot. Kids who approach sports must have family support. I’m from roller skating and they always took me to them. I was 16 when I started ice skating and they supported me to go to train every time (in Trentino ed) ».
Source: Vanity Fair
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