Stefania Belmondo

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Stefania Belmondo
File:Stefania Belmondo.jpg
Born (1969-01-13) 13 January 1969 (age 55)
Vinadio, Cuneo, Italy
Height 158 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Ski club G.S. Forestale
World Cup career
Seasons 1988–2002
Individual wins 23
Indiv. podiums 66
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing  Italy
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1992 Albertville 30 km
Gold medal – first place 2002 Salt Lake City 15 km
Silver medal – second place 1992 Albertville 15 km pursuit
Silver medal – second place 1998 Nagano 30 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2002 Salt Lake City 30 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Albertville 4 × 5 km
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Lillehammer 15 km pursuit
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Lillehammer 4 × 5 km
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Nagano 4 × 5 km
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Salt Lake City 10 km classical
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1993 Falun 15 km pursuit
Gold medal – first place 1993 Falun 30 km
Gold medal – first place 1999 Ramsau 15 km pursuit
Gold medal – first place 1999 Ramsau 15 km
Silver medal – second place 1991 Val di Fiemme 4 × 5 km
Silver medal – second place 1993 Falun 4 × 5 km
Silver medal – second place 1997 Trondheim 5 km
Silver medal – second place 1997 Trondheim 15 km
Silver medal – second place 1997 Trondheim 30 km
Silver medal – second place 1997 Trondheim 15 km pursuit
Silver medal – second place 1999 Ramsau 4 × 5 km
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Val di Fiemme 15 km
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Lahti 4 × 5 km

Stefania Belmondo (born 13 January 1969) is an Italian former cross-country skier, two time olympic champion and four time world champion in her career.

Biography

Debut

Belmondo was born in Vinadio, in the province of Cuneo (Piedmont), the daughter of a housewife and an electric company employee. In her career she skied with the G.S. Forestale.

She started to ski at the age of three in the Piedmontese mountains of her native city. She made her debut at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 1987. 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.

Early success, injury, return

At the 1991 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, she won a bronze medal in the 15 km trial, and a silver in the 4 × 5 km. The 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville brought the first gold medal for Belmondo, in the 30 km specialty. At the 1993 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, she won golds in the 5 km + 10 km combined pursuit and the 30 km, and a silver in the 4 × 5 km before an injury to her right hallux required a surgery, and caused a 4 month absence from competition.

After a second operation, Belmondo participated to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, gaining just two bronze medals; after this disappointing performance she decided to continue skiing, against the advice of her physician. The 1996–97 season was one of her best since the surgeries, when she won three silver medals (5 km, 15 km, 30 km), all were behind Russian Yelena Välbe though she tied with Välbe in the 5 km + 10 km combined pursuit event. In the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, she won a third place with the 4 × 5 km, and an individual silver in the 30 km. The bronze medal in the relay was remarkable because the Italian team was 9th as Belmondo started her anchor leg. The 1999 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships saw Stefania Belmondo win two gold medals (5 km + 10 km combined pursuit, 15 km) and a silver (4 × 5 km).

In her final year of competition, 2002, she won a gold medal, as well as a silver and a bronze, in the Winter Olympics. She concluded that year's World Cup in third place.

Other career successes

1997 World Championships

At the 15 km pursuit event world championships in Trondheim 1997 the organizers had to resort to Photo finish to determine who between Stefania Belmondo and Yelena Välbe had won the race. Eventually the gold medal is awarded to the Russian and the Italian Silver for just 2cm, [1] both athletes are still credited the same time.[2]

2006 Winter Olympics

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, Belmondo had a series of webpages on the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games website regarding her reaction and emotions during the games.

See also

References

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External links

Olympic Games
Preceded by Final Winter Olympic Torchbearer
Torino 2006		 Succeeded by
Catriona Le May Doan, Steve Nash,
Nancy Greene and Wayne Gretzky

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