Cross-country skiing: Federico Pellegrino and Elia Barp on target
On Wednesday, Italy won its 25th medal at the Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina. In Tesero, the duo of Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino won bronze in the cross-country skiing team sprint, behind the victorious Norway of Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo and Einar Hedegart, and the United States of Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher, in second place. The Italians crossed the line 3.3 seconds behind the winners.
For a long time, the race remained locked, with Norway controlling the first stints without breaking away. It all came down to the finish. Elia Barp stayed in contact in the most demanding section of the course before handing over in an excellent position. Federico Pellegrino, 35, then put his experience to good use in the final 1,500 metres, managing his effort and his trajectories in the bends perfectly to secure the podium.
“It’s really special to win two medals here. I’d already won a medal at the World Championships, but to win two in the team events at the Games is really special. We felt the support of the public and that gave us a lot of energy. I’m very grateful to everyone who came to cheer us on,” the Aostian told the IOC. We did a great job. We’ve got the next generation coming through [Elia Barp]… and other very talented youngsters are coming through too. We’ll soon be able to follow them from the comfort of our sofa.
For Veneto-born Elia Barp, this medal confirms her rise to prominence on the international stage. “It’s incredible. Two medals with my idol, in the relay and the sprint team. I’m incredibly happy to be able to ski and share this with him,” enthused the younger of the two.
It was Italy’s first Olympic medal in this team sprint format. Twenty years after the Turin Games in 2006, the Squadra Azzurra once again won two medals in cross-country skiing at the same event.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, unless Federico Pellegrino achieves something special in the 50km – a possibility made uncertain by pain in his arm – he should end his Olympic career with two individual silver medals and two team bronze medals. For his part, Elia Barp can look to the future with confidence, on the strength of a particularly successful first Olympic experience on home soil.
