A day of high emotion at the Golf Arena in Asiago—and not only because of the rich haul of medals added by the Italian athletes to the host nation’s tally.
Excitement also ran high thanks to the presence of athletes who made Italian cross-country skiing history on what was dubbed Big Monday at the MWC Asiago 2013 World Cup: lining up at the start between morning and afternoon were roughly one thousand athletes, including legendary names such as Cristian Zorzi and Gianfranco Polvara (gold in M03), as well as local favorite Francesco Benetti, who claimed the third step of the podium in the M05 race.
These performances brought 7 world gold medals into the Italian tally, won by Luca Bortot, Cristian Zorzi, Gianfranco Polvara, Guido Masiero, Bruno Carrara, and Giorgio and Gianpaolo Englaro. Nine silvers were earned by Daniele Vuerich, Carolina Tiraboschi, Mara Zamboni, Moreno Giacomelli, Morris Galli, Marialuisa Mauri, Domenico Invernizzi, Eugenia Bichugova, and Giuliano Secco. Five bronzes were won by Francesco Rossi, Francesco Benetti, Gianni Rupil, Lorella Baron, and Roberto Martini. Asiago native Attilio Baù also delivered a superb performance as the first of the “mere mortals” in the M03 race, finishing fifth behind
Zorzi, Russians Pushkarev and Glushkov, and Sopplesa.
To date, the medal table shows 25 golds for Russia, followed by Finland with 18 and Norway surging to 12, with Italy just one step off the podium on 11 golds.
“Iron grandpas” also on the starting line at the MWC 2013 Masters World Cup
Is cross-country skiing a sport for all ages? Watching Antonio Gianola—born in 1929 and hailing from Premana (Lecco)—stride forward with ski boots on his feet and poles in hand, the answer is an emphatic yes. The MWC Asiago 2013 Masters World Cup currently taking place on the Vicenza Plateau reveals a truly inspiring sight: around twenty octogenarians from all over the world are competing for world gold with a grit that would put even 30-year-olds—the minimum age bracket for the Masters category—to shame.
Charley French hails from the United States and won a gold medal in the M12 category (the oldest Masters cross-country bracket): “The course is very nice, with lots of ups and downs, and on the downhills I made up ground on my rivals, gaining precious seconds,” he explained after crossing the finish line at the Asiago World Cup. French is 87 years old: “I come from Idaho and I still work 20 hours a week as an engineer.”
Antonio Gianola is the oldest Masters athlete on the Italian team and will celebrate his birthday in a few weeks; he is nicknamed “the Senator” because he holds the record for the most Marcialonga (Val di Fiemme) finishes with 40 appearances.
And when evening comes and it is time to have the medals placed around their necks, the enthusiasm is infectious both for the “iron grandpas” pushing hard on their skis over 10 km in classic or freestyle technique, and for the friends who follow them on these adventures.
For more information, visit the official website www.mwc2013.com
No comments yet