In a thrilling match at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the Italian men's speed skating team claimed the gold medal in the pursuit event, surprising many by defeating the American team, who were the world record holders. This victory marks Italy's ninth gold medal of the games, underscoring the country's strong performance in winter sports. On Sunday, another Italian athlete, Lisa Vittozzi, further elevated the nation's standing by securing its eighth gold medal in these Winter Games, surpassing the previous record of seven medals achieved in Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994.

The American team entered the competition as the reigning world record holders, having set a remarkable time of 3:32.49 last November in Salt Lake City. However, they fell short during this event, finishing with a time of 3:43.71, which was substantially slower than their record. In contrast, the Italian team showcased their prowess with a time of 3:39.20, finishing almost five seconds ahead of the Americans, much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd at the Milan skating rink, who celebrated the Italian triumph.

In the women's event, the competition also delivered an unexpected turn of events, with Canada taking gold by edging past the Netherlands in the final moments of the race. The Canadian team completed their race in a time of 2:55.81, narrowly beating the Dutch team, who finished at 2:56.77. This result added to the excitement of the Winter Olympics and highlighted the competitive nature of the sport, as well as the impressive performances from teams around the world.