Although many Italian athletes will be watching far from home while they attend American universities with an ocean of distance between them and the Winter Olympics, their national pride still runs deep.
“I would love to be in Milan during this time because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but at the same time I’m living my life here (in Arizona),” former University of Arizona volleyball player Giorgia Mandotti said.
The Winter Games official kicked off Friday with the Olympic opening ceremony at Milan’s historic San Siro Stadium and simultaneous celebrations in three other cities in the country.
Italy is one of just eight countries to host both the summer and winter Olympics. Former Arizona golfer Carolina Melgrati credits the welcoming atmosphere as one of the reasons why it is so popular as a host country.
“We as a nation, we kind of point to tourism as a very good source of our economy and so that helps as we are used to hosting many people,” she said.
Italy has an aspect that makes it conducive to the Winter Olympics: mountains. It is a diverse geographical country but it has one of the most famous ranges in the world, the Alps.
“We have amazing mountains, amazing winter facilities so I guess that also increases the chance to host,” Melgrati said.
However those mountains and facilities were not enough on their own to host the grandeur and spectacle, so decorations were put up all around the city to make it look more festive. As a result, Italian athletes from colleges in Arizona were in for a shock when they returned home for winter break.
“The city is prepared for the Olympics everywhere,” Mandotti said of Milan. “I know there are some designated arenas and everything, but also in the main square with the cathedral they have a lot of things that are related to the Olympics.”
Italy has put another wrinkle on these Games. For the first time, two Olympic torches will be lit. One will be in Milan and the other in Cortina. The identical torches were inspired by one of Italy’s greatest artists, Leonardo da Vinci, whose intricate knots – interwoven spherical patterns from his artworks – symbolize the connection between nature and human ingenuity.
The festivities and decorations are an example of how seriously Italy is taking the Winter Games. National pride is another driving force behind the enthusiasm. Italian athletes in American colleges say they feel the added pressure of representing their country, which can almost make it feel like they are in the Olympics.
“We have a really strong pride for our country in every sport and we really feel the pressure of being Italian,” said Alice Alessandri, a member of the Arizona State triathlon team. “We have had such a strong sports culture in the past.”
The pressure and pride of both college and Olympic worlds can cross and that can help athletes feel close to home despite being a continent away.
“I think it’s a natural thing really,” Melgrati said. “You see someone that is either for your country or went to your same school or you have something in common with and you go, ‘Oh my god. I’m rooting for this person.’”
Staying connected to their roots can be hard in another country. Having a level of familiarity, even in small amounts, can help.
“It’s obviously tough the first semester, the first year to go out of your comfort zone but now I realize we are all in the same situation far from home and with a completely new life,” Alessandri said.
For some athletes, the choice to remain in the U.S. or go back to Italy can be tough. Mandotti plans to return to Italy to play volleyball there while Melgarti is going back to Tucson to continue her golf career on the LPGA Tour and center her training in Arizona.
The competitiveness also plays a big role in this sense of pride as an international student in college where the majority of competition and teammates are from the United States. Mandotti’s Italian pride shined through in her career at Arizona and on senior night, she had her picture taken with the Italian flag.
“Being a small country, you have a lot of less athletes to choose from and when we are better than such a big country like the U.S. we’re like, ‘We’re quality,’” Mandotti said.
The Olympics often reignite pride for countries. For Italy, they just highlight the everlasting and fierce pride that Italians have for their country, even if they happen to be scattered around the world.
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