"CORTINA D'AMPEZO, Italy Call it homefield advantage, call it national pride, Italy's athletes are shining gold in the Winter Olympics underway in Milan and the Alps. Riding high on the performances of national stars like Alpine skier Frederica Brignone and speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida and buoyed by a huge cast of lesser-known athletes, Italy has outpaced every other country except Norway."
"At press time, Italians had secured eight gold, four silver, and ten bronze medals a total of 22 medals overall. With five days to go, that already far exceeds Italy's count of 17 medals at the last Winter Games. "It's incredible, because we are in Italy," said Lollobrigida after winning the first of two speed skating medals. "The Olympics are in Italy, this is the dream of my dreams.""
Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan are hosting Winter Olympic competitions across the Alps. Italy has secured 22 medals so far — eight gold, four silver and ten bronze — placing the country behind only Norway in the medal table. The haul already surpasses Italy's 17 medals from the previous Winter Games with five competition days remaining. Frederica Brignone captured two golds, including giant slalom, after recovering from a severe multi-fragment tibial plateau fracture and complete knee dislocation less than a year earlier. Francesca Lollobrigida added speed skating medals. Italy's medals are spread across many disciplines rather than concentrated in a few sports.
Read at www.npr.org
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