|
|
 |
| |
|
Home > Olympics > Gold Medalists > Stefania Belmondo
Stefania Belmondo
The Olympic Games, or Olympics, is an international multi-sport event taking place every four years which comprises of summer and winter games. Though the first ancient games were held in 776 B.C, the modern games started from 1896.The unity of the 5 continents is shown on the Olympic flag by five colorful intertwined rings of red, blue, green, yellow, and black, created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin to represent atleast one color of the participating country’s national flag.
Stefania Belmondo was born on January 13, 1969 in Vinadio, Cuneo. She is an Italian former cross-country skier. Belmondo started to ski at the age of three in the Piedmontese mountains of her native city. She made her debut in the Nordic skiing World Championships in 1986. The next season she joined the main national team of Italy, and then participated at the 1988 Winter Olympics, held in Calgary, Canada. In 1989, she won a World Cup event for her first time, in Salt Lake City, and ended that season second overall.
At the 1991 FIS, Federation International Ski Nordic World Ski Championships, she won a bronze medal in the 15 km trial, and silver in the 20 km. The 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville brought the first gold medal for Belmondo, in the 30 km specialty. The 1996-97 season was one of her best since the surgeries, when she won three silver medals, all but the 5 km plus 10 km combined pursuit were behind Russian Yelena Valbe. In the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, she won a third place with the 20 km, and individual silver in the 30 km. The 1999 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships saw Stefania Belmondo win two gold medals and silver.
In her final year of competition, 2002, she won a gold medal, as well as a silver, in the Winter Olympics. She concluded that year's World Cup in third place. Belmondo also found success at the Holmenkollen ski festival, winning the 30 km women's event twice. Belmondo is the only woman to ever win the 30 km Olympic, World Championship, and Holmenkollen events.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, in her native region of Piedmont, she lit the Olympic Flame at the opening ceremony. During the 2006 Winter Olympics, Belomondo had a series of webpages on the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games website regarding her reaction and emotions during the games.
Back to Gold Medalists
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|