wooWhenever Stefania Constantini sent a stone on her journey to this Olympic curling tournament, she seemed immediately excited: the “buona linea” she called after each individual stone. The “good line”, a self-praise – but it also meant that his partner Amos Mossner didn’t have to put in too much effort with the broom to show the stone the right way, as he was quickly toward the intended goal anyway. was bent.
“Buona Linea” became an early-round dictatorship in mixed doubles, as only 22-year-old Stefania Constantini and her partner, who was four years older, made an unexpected triumphant march through the Olympic tournament: 9:0 was “round robin”. After the CC Dolomiti team’s impeccable record, a competition based on the motto “against everyone” – and then a sensational 8:1 victory over Swedes Almeida de Val and Oscar Ericsson in the semi-finals.
And that didn’t stop them from their successful course: on Tuesday in the final they beat Norwegian teammates Kristin Skaslian and Magnus Ndregotten 8:5 and celebrated their eleventh victory in the eleventh tournament game. It was Italy’s first Olympic medal in curling. Kristin Skaslian, 36, and her five-year-old partner Nedregotten had already won bronze at the 2018 Olympics, but they lost to Italy on Tuesday. They had already lost 8:11 against Italy in the preliminary round in Beijing and had nothing to oppose Stefania Constantini’s “good lines”.
As is the case with the Olympics, the often ridiculed outdoor sport of curling takes its place in television coverage, as it is played every day. And it so happened that the whole of Italy fell in love with one athlete – at least if you believe the “Gazetta dello Sport”.
Stefania Constantini chases her game, still considered curious, with infectious passion and grace, and she forms a cordial pairing with Amos Mosander who clearly complement each other. Constantini was born under the sign of Aries, which is generally considered a sign of strong will. Her father was an ice hockey player, her boyfriend is an ice hockey goalkeeper, but Stefania also loved the ice stock game, a type of pre-school version of curling, as an elementary school student.
Stefania Constantini lives in the 2026 Olympic city of Cortina d’Ampezzo, which gave another impetus to her Olympic dreams. At the age of 16 she had already participated in the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, where she finished fifth in mixed doubles. After her education, she took a sabbatical to fully focus on perfecting her game. Daily trips to the gym and an extensive cardio program should get you in shape for curling in the Olympics. But as in an Olympic fringe sport, the young woman worked in a clothing store until recently to be able to pursue her sporting hobby.
Stefania Constantini: “Buona Linea” she called after each stone.
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Image: AP
She missed the Games in PyeongChang 2018 in the Italian women’s team around Skip Diana Gaspari. But now Stefania Constantini and Amos Mossner are in top form. In “Ice Cube” he showed no let-up even after qualifying for the semi-finals: in the ninth and final match against Olympic champions Canada, which still had to enter the final round, Constantini/Mossner lost every stone. and eventually won 8:7 at the extra end. Canada was eliminated, and thus a potential contender for a medal in the race. In the semi-finals, the Olympic debutants demolished Sweden and already secured a medal for Italy. Going Gold instead of Silver was a well-deserved reward for a sustained achievement that remained on the course throughout the week.
