Andrea Giovannini made good on a pre-race promise, breaking out Steph Curry’s iconic “night-night” celebration after Italy’s men’s team pursuit squad clinched a dramatic Winter Olympics gold in a lung-searing final against the United States.
The Italian trio of Davide Ghiotto, Giovannini, and Michele Malfatti stunned the world champions and world record holders, storming home in three minutes 39.20 seconds. Their commanding finish was 4.51 seconds clear of the Americans, securing an unexpected triumph.
The victory ignited the Milano Speed Skating Stadium into a frenzy.
The roar from the home crowd swelled into a wall of sound during the final laps, as the host nation executed a remarkable surge from what had appeared to be a fading position with just four laps remaining.
This victory not only secured Italy’s third gold and a bronze, placing them atop the speed skating medal table at Milano Cortina, but also marked a deeply personal triumph for the 32-year-old Giovannini, who had anxiously awaited his chance to shine while teammates previously claimed glory.
“I did it (celebration) because in these first few weeks I never competed, I saw my teammates getting results, I couldn’t wait for my moment to come,” Giovannini said.
“I had a lot of tension. I thank the psychologist of the team who helped me manage it.”
The devoted sports fan found his inspiration in Curry’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the NBA superstar hit a decisive three-pointer against France in the men’s basketball final to lead the U.S. to glory.
“I watched the final of Paris 2024 where he managed the great pressure and tension of Steph closing it with the three-pointer where he did the night-night gesture,” Giovannini said, referring to Curry’s celebration where he presses two hands together to the side of his tilted head.
Two or three days before the race, with nerves mounting, he confided in a teammate about his plan.
“I told him: ‘look, if I can manage it well, I’d like to, if we manage to win, celebrate with the night-night. Precisely because of what this gesture meant in terms of managing tension and then emulating Steph Curry in this,” Giovannini added.
Even the U.S. skaters managed a smile afterwards. Asked about Giovannini’s nod to Curry, Emery Lehman said: “We didn’t see that. It’s better than getting two middle fingers from the Russians four years ago.”
His remark referred to the Beijing 2022 semi-finals, when Russian skater Daniil Aldoshkin raised both middle fingers toward the crowd after his team beat the U.S. to advance.
Aldoshkin, only 20 at the time, later apologised.
