Four people from Belluno dream in five circles

Anna Comarella (cross country), Stefania Constantini (curling), Mattia Gaspari (skeleton) and Lucia Dalmasso (snowboard) are leaving for the Beijing Olympics

Three people from Cortina and an Agordina. Four athletes from the province have been called up for the Beijing Olympics: three from the Italian Winter Sports Federation, one from the Italian Ice Sports Federation.

In the list of Coni made official yesterday evening there are the names of Anna Comarella, Stefania Constantini, Mattia Gaspari and Lucia Dalmasso. They are part of an expedition that counts on 118 athletes.

In the five-circle review that will start on February 4, there will be 46 Italians (39% of the entire expedition) and 72 Italians competing in 14 of the disciplines scheduled until February 20.

Numbers similar to those of PyeongChang 2018, when Italy was represented in Korea by 122 athletes (48 women and 74 men).

For China, only the seven names of men’s alpine skiing remain to be defined, which will be announced this evening at the end of the night slalom scheduled in Schladming.

Anna Comarella, reference of the blue women’s cross-country skiing, is the only one of the four to have already experienced the thrill of the Olympics, those of Pyeong Chang (Korea) in 2018.

“I want to do better than four years ago,” says the Cortina delle Fiamme Oro who finished 37th in the skiathlon in Korea and 34th in the 30 km classic. «I don’t want to go too far with predictions. I’m just saying I’ll give it my all, I hope something good comes out. In the last two weeks I have trained well between Misurina and Tre Croci, two tracks all for us that have allowed us to work really well ».

It also comes from Cortina Stefania Constantini, blue of curling who will be the protagonist of the mixed doubles in Beijing. For her, the first competition will be on February 3, just before the opening ceremony.

“Which, of course, I can’t wait to participate”, underlines the standard bearer of the Curling Club Dolomiti.

Four years ago these days Mattia Gaspari he watched his colleagues on TV. He was in fact… in the infirmary due to the Achilles tendon injury. This time, however, the Ampezzano delle Fiamme Azzurre will be there.

There will also be the Falcadina snowboard Lucia Dalmasso. «The call for the Olympics is a dream come true, I don’t have many words to define how I feel», says the Agordina girl, a past in alpine skiing before dedicating herself to the table. “I’m going to Beijing to aim high, then we’ll see what happens.”

Falcade returns to the Games after a few years of absence, that is to say in 2010, when cross-country skier Magda Genuin wore the blue in Vancouver. “When we received the news of Lucia’s summoning to the Beijing Olympics, it was a moment of pure joy for all of us who saw her grow up” declared Antonella Schena, president of Promo Falcade, Lucia’s main sponsor, in a press release. «Falcade and Val del Biois are proud to have a representative in the Italian national team who will carry the name of its territory high in the highest international competition. We are even more proud because Lucia, from this season, has been wearing the Falcade Dolomiti brand and has been its testimonial in the races that have brought her to this great experience ».