The President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Giovanni Malagò, along with the Deputy General Secretary and Olympic Preparation Manager, Carlo Mornati, took part in the “FISG Passione Day”, the event that marked the official opening of the competition season that will lead to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.
The conference was held at Palazzo Marino in Milano and was attended by the Minister for Sport, Luca Lotti, Mayor Giuseppe Sala, the Municipal Councillor for Sport, Roberta Guaineri, and the President of the Italian Ice Sports Federation (FISG), Andrea Gios, together with the athletes from the Italian team. Also present were the Olympians Ippolito Sanfratello (today the General Secretary of FISG) and Matteo Anesi (a member of the federal technical staff), both of whom won gold medals at Turin 2006.
President Malagò wanted to express the Italian sporting world’s pride for this stage on the road towards PyeongChang 2018. “Congratulations to the Federation, who supported this initiative. In a few days’ time we will head to Lima to present Milan’s bid to host the 2019 IOC Session. This city is especially well suited to large sporting events. Ice has its place here, and next year the World Figure Skating Championships will be held in this very city. There’s a great deal of interconnection with our world. We know how difficult it is to qualify for the Olympics. You can never be sure in sport, but here at CONI we are doing as much as we can to support the Federation’s applications and prepare for the event in the best possible way. This day turns the spotlight on the commitment you put into representing us, which makes us extremely proud.”
Minister Lotti spoke on behalf of the government. “I would like to express my sincere encouragement to both the athletes and the Federation as a whole. It will be a truly important year. You will be representing our country at the Olympics. The Italian flag represents both a nation and the values that characterise us. You are role models for young people. I hope it is a triumphant and hugely rewarding season. The sporting events due to be held in Italy over the next few months are a testimony of how our country can host large events that are drivers of growth. The many initiatives developed, such as the “Sport e Periferie” (Sport and Suburbs) project, demonstrate a desire to turn this activity into a key component of development.”
The President of FISG, Andrea Gios, spoke about the Federation’s ambitions. “Responsibility is born out of dreams. Working as a team, we began to envisage great results straight after Sochi. Our Olympic ambition is at the heart of the project and every initiative as we strive to maximise our efforts. Here, world-class excellence is motivated by the desire to make our mark. Competition is growing and there are companies that are investing in raising levels. I’m sure everyone will give it their all to succeed.”
Mayor Sala and the Councillor for Sport for the Municipality of Milan, Roberta Guaineri, highlighted the key role sport plays in Milan’s growth policy, as well as the huge importance that events have in promoting the city’s image. Sala noted that “in recent months the influx of tourists has increased by 10%”, whilst Guaineri highlighted that “certain events also enable us to educate kids about the values of sport. At the Italian and World Championships, we will strive to become the centre of ice sports.”
The march towards PyeongChang 2018 involves the following list of events: For short track racing, there will be 4 World Cup races that will determine who heads to the Olympics: one in Budapest in late September and one in the Netherlands the following week, before moving onto a stage in Shanghai (9-12 November) and finishing in Seoul in South Korea (16-19 November). Long-distance Italian skiers will try to qualify in the following World cup competitions: 10-12 November in Heerenveen in the Netherlands, 17-19 November in Stavanger in Norway, 1-3 December in Calgary in Canada, and finally 8-10 December in Salt Lake City.
The curling team will try to secure a ticket to South Korea in the Plzen tournament in the Czech Republic. In terms of figure skating, 2 couples have already qualified for ice dancing, 2 couples have qualified for pairs figure skating and 2 athletes have qualified for women’s figure skating. Figure skaters will now attempt to qualify for the men’s figure skating on 27-30 September at the Nebelhorn Trophy and for the Team Event at the final of the Grand Prix 2017.
Carolina Kostner, Arianna Fontana, Giovannini and the Cappellini-Lanotte pair have launched the Italian team’s challenge, speaking about the ambitions and goals they want to achieve. “The incredible is not impossible. Set the ice on fire”: Italia Team’s Olympic adventure has already begun.
