Milan-Cortina: figure skating, super Gutmann, Italy third after first day of team competition

Milan, 6 February (LaPresse) – Italy is doing great at the Milan Ice Skating Arena, where the figure skating programme at the Milan Cortina Olympics began today. In the team competition, Lara Naki Gutmann put in a spectacular performance in the short programme, breaking the 70-point barrier for the first time in her career. The athlete from Trentino scored 71.62 points, a new personal best that puts her in third place behind only the American Alysa Liu in second with 74.90 points and the unbeatable Japanese champion Kaori Sakamoto in first with a superb 78.88. To the soundtrack of “La Legge di Lidia Poët”, Gutmann was flawless: her triple toe loop-triple toe loop combination was perfect, her triple Lutz was splendid and her spins and steps were executed with maximum precision. In the overall standings, the favourites, the United States, are in the lead with 25 points, followed by Japan with 23. Italy is an excellent third with 22 points, two ahead of the formidable Georgia. The dream of an Olympic podium for the Italian team is not a mirage.