CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Curling could not have a more fitting host city for the upcoming Olympics than Cortina d’Ampezzo.The town in the Dolomites is home to Italy’s first curling gold medalist, defending mixed doubles champion Stefania Constantini. And Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi is a former member of Italy’s national team — and the son of the sport’s founding father in Italy.“I’m certainly going to have a reserved seat for every day of the competition,” Lorenzi said in a recent interview with The Associated Press, inferring that he would rather be at the curling venue than welcoming the various heads of state and VIPs expected in Cortina during the games.Add in that the venue to be used for curling at the Feb. 6-22 Milan Cortina Winter Games will be the wooden arena that hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1956 Olympics in Cortina and was also used for a scene in the James Bond film “For Your Eyes Only,” and it’s clear that spectators are in for something special.“In Cortina, everybody (has) tried curling at least once,” Constantini said.Constantini’s mother, Monica Dalus, is a member of Cortina’s city council.“Whenever Stefi is competing, we message each other to keep track of her,” the mayor said of Dalus.Constantini’s status makes her a logical choice to be one of Italy’s unprecedented four flag bearers for the part of the opening ceremony that will be held in Cortina.Only she doesn’t see it that way. Because at 26, Constantini is still relatively young for a curler.“I’m still at the start of my career and I’ve got many more goals that I want to achieve. There are many athletes who are further along in their careers, who have already won a ton and provided Italy with amazing emotions. So maybe they deserve this great honor,” Constantini told the …
