They Bring Home Gold

Spontaneously, passionately, insistently came the chants Thursday night from the crowd at the Lingotto Oval, an urgent plea for gold that roared around the arena: “I-tal-ia! I-tal-ia!”

The Italian men’s speedskating team did not disappoint.

Carried along on a wave of sound, the Italian men sailed to a victory in the team pursuit, a victory both unexpected and unexpectedly easy. Italy, led by Enrico Fabris, a bronze medalist in the 5,000 meters in these Games, defeated Canada by almost three seconds in the three-man, 3,200-meter event, which made its Olympic debut here.

The victory gave Italy its first Olympic speedskating gold medal and touched off a mad celebration on the ice that included belly-flopping and group hugs, and prompting Super Bowl-style phone calls to the victors -- Fabris, Matteo Anesi and Ippolito Sanfratello -- from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

An elated Sanfratello said of Ciampi’s call, “He supported us and that means that also our little sport can give big emotions.”

Fabris, who finished third in the 5,000 on Saturday, behind U.S. gold medalist Chad Hedrick, said, “It helps a lot to skate at home.”

Holland won bronze, defeating Norway.

In the women’s team pursuit, a 2,400-meter race, the German team, featuring Anni Friesinger, arguably the world’s best all-around female skater, defeated Canada. Russia took bronze. The U.S. women’s team finished fifth.

The Italian path to the men’s gold medal included upsets Wednesday over the Hedrick-led Americans in the quarterfinals, and over the Dutch in the semifinals Thursday. Against the Americans, the Italians had the competition’s fastest time, 3 minutes 43.64 seconds.

Skating in the consolation round Thursday, without Hedrick, the Americans finished sixth.

In Thursday’s championship semifinal, meanwhile, the Italians got a break. With three laps of eight remaining, Dutch skater Sven Kramer, the silver medalist here in the 5,000, clipped a lane marker in the turn and sprawled into teammate Carl Verheijen.

“I think Kramer fell because he felt the pressure of our comeback,” Fabris said.

In the stands, it was all ever so glorious for the likes of Claudio Tosco, 36, of Carignano, Italy. A green, red and white Italian flag draped around his shoulders, Tosco, hoarse from shouting, “I-tal-ia!” said in halting English, “I have been excited to look at the event -- not just the victory.”

Then he paused and said, “But it’s better -- victory!”