A wild cheer is not enough. The United States won the final at the end of a semi-final of mixed doubles curling played on the edge of balance. Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini, Olympic champions in Beijing 2022, stop in front of the home crowd, in a glowing building.
The Azzurri, ahead 8-7 before the last hand, lost 9-8 to the Americans, who had already faced them a few hours earlier in a match valid only for defining the ranking positions. The United States thus flies to the final, while Italy will have to settle for the final for the bronze.
Anger and hot analysis
At the end of the match Mosaner appeared visibly nervous, venting his disappointment with multiple blows of the broom against the table. «I’m emotional – he explained – when you’re one step away and you see another Olympic final slip away like this, you feel a little sad, but it’s part of sport».
What made the difference, according to the Trentino player, were “a few details in particular, where we could defend ourselves a little better and be a little smarter”. An analysis also shared by Constantini: «We gave them some chances and, when they gave them to us, we weren’t able to exploit them».
The future of the couple and the final for bronze
The two athletes spoke separately in the mixed area. And questions remain about the future of the couple who brought Italy to the top of the curling world. «I don’t know about this – said Mosaner – now let’s think about tomorrow, there’s a nice medal to play for».
«As teams we work a lot over a four-year period – added Constantini – we have concentrated on this competition. For the future we will decide how to proceed at the end of the tournament.”
A building never seen before
The image of a packed and involved arena remains, which accompanied Mosaner and Constantini throughout the match. The old “popopo” from the 2006 World Cup also resounded in the stands, in a duel of chants with the American fans, cheered on by the American couple.
Also in the audience were some Italian skiers, including Federica Brignone. «I understood how beautiful it is to play with the fans – commented Constantini – it gives you extra energy. I will miss it when we go to Canada. I hope to be able to give them joy tomorrow.”
«Extraordinary support», acknowledged Mosaner, who will return to the track tomorrow at 2pm to compete for the bronze against Great Britain, another big disappointment of the day after the defeat against Sweden.