Italy’s Home-Turf Glory at Milan Cortina Olympics Masks Larger Global Sporting Realities

On the first official day of competition at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Italy proudly claimed multiple medals on home soil, with Francesca Lollobrigida capturing gold in the women’s 3,000 meters speedskating event and Italians Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris earning silver and bronze respectively in men’s downhill skiing. While these victories are celebrated as moments of national pride for Italy, they also offer a pointed reflection on America’s own approach to fostering athletic excellence and maintaining national sovereignty in competitive arenas. Is America Letting Its Competitive Edge Slip Away? Italy’s medal haul is the product of years of deliberate...