ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Italy's men's speedskating team celebrating their gold medal success.

Record ID: 331756

  • Title: ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Italy's men's speedskating team celebrating their gold medal success.
  • Date: 18th February 2006
  • Summary: TURIN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 16, 2006) SOURCE: REUTERS (NIGHT SHOTS) WIDE VIEW OF CASA ITALIA PLAYING LIGHT SHOW PEOPLE WATCHING ON BRIDGE WIDE OF CASA ITALIA HOW SCREENED ON WALL SAYING:"TURINO, OLYMPIC HOST CITY" VARIOUS OF LIGHT SHOW AND PEOPLE WATCHING ITALIAN OLYMPIC SPEED SKATING GOLD MEDALIST,ENRICO FABRIS, MATTTEO ANESI AND IPPOLITO SANFRATELLO WALKING ON TO STAGE INSIDE CASA ITALIA SKATING TEAM ON STAGE LAUGHING AND WAVING, VARIOUS OF PRESS AND FANS TAKING PICTURES SCREEN SHOWING RACE SKATERS CHEERING, DRINKING CHAMPAGNE, VARIOUS OF FANS SPRAYING SKATERS WITH CHAMPAGNE MAN HOLDING LITTLE GIRL SMILING PAN FROM SKATING TEAM SITTING AT TABLE TO PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES (SOUNDBITE)(Italian) IPPOLITO SANFRATELLO SAYING:" "Just 3 years ago I was so far from the Olympic medal and now I am holding a gold medal in my hands and it is like a dream." CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE)(Italian) ENRICO FABRIS SAYING:"They say that but I feel I am the same with all my team mates. It's truly because of team work that we not only get these results in the team events but also in the individual events because one person by himself can't move forward" WIDE OF ROOM WITH PRESS AND FANS WIDE OF LIGHT SHOW DISPLAYED AT CASA ITALIA
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA7C38ZMCW8POWAJGI5O1VY75XF
  • Story Text: Italy's victorious men's pursuit team were out celebrating late into the night on Thursday (February 16/17) after winning gold in their speedskating race.
    Roared on all the way by the crowds, host nation Italy seized speedskating men's pursuit Olympic gold with a stunning victory over Canada in the final.
    Canada also had to settle for silver in the women's final, outgunned by a powerful German squad.
    The Italian men's trio, which included Enrico Fabris, 5,000 metres individual bronze medallist on day one at the Games, made all the running and had 2.82 seconds to spare at the finish.
    Fabris, whose family and friends leapt over the barrier to hug him after he won, said Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had called to congratulate him.
    Team mate Ippolito Sanfratello said: "Just 3 years ago I was so far from the Olympic medal and now I am holding a gold medal in my hands and it is like a dream."
    Fabris said it was a team effort, despite his own earlier medal success: "They say that but I feel I am the same with all my team mates. It's truly because of team work that we not only get these results in the team events but also in the individual events because one person by himself can't move forward."
    Italy managed to dispose of the Netherlands in the semis when the Dutch took a tumble and had beaten favourites the United States in Wednesday's quarter-finals.
    The Netherlands, unlucky in the semis when leading, beat Norway in the race for the bronze medal.
    Italy's Fabris, Matteo Anesi and Ippolito Sanfratello had too much power in the final for the Canadian trio of Steven Elm, Arne Dankers and Justin Warsylewicz, crossing the line in 3:44.46.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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