Italian speedskater Andrea Giovannini uses Steph Curry’s ‘Night night’ after Olympic upset of US

By: Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press Posted: 12:35 PM CST Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026

MILAN (AP) — Speedskater Andrea Giovannini knew he was going to celebrate with Steph Curry's “Night night” celebration if he could help Italy beat the favored U.S. in the men’s team pursuit final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Tuesday.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks. After 52 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

*Billed as $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/02/2026 (225 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MILAN (AP) — Speedskater Andrea Giovannini knew he was going to celebrate with Steph Curry’s “Night night” celebration if he could help Italy beat the favored U.S. in the men’s team pursuit final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Tuesday.

Giovannini just didn’t want to tell teammates Davide Ghiotto and Michele Malfatti ahead of time, in case things didn’t go well. Not a problem. The Italians claimed the gold medal by finishing 4 1/2 seconds faster than the American world record-holders, and that margin was so large that Giovannini pulled his two white-gloved hands together and pressed them to the side of his head at the close, just the way NBA star Curry does.

“The last lap, we were in control,” Giovannini said, “and I was just waiting for that finish line to emulate Steph.”

Andrea Giovannini of Italy gestures after his team won the gold medal in the final of the men's team pursuit speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Giovannini said he remembered watching on TV during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics when Curry did his signature move after one of his late 3-pointers sealed a 98-87 victory for the U.S. against France to win gold in men’s basketball.

“Emblematic of having cold blood,” Giovannini said.

So a couple of days ago, Giovannini was chatting with his Olympic roommate, speedskating teammate Francesco Betti, and told him he planned to go with the “Night night.”

“It happened,” Giovannini said. “I was worried I would forget.”

One of the other team pursuit gold medalists, Ghiotto, said later he hadn’t seen what Giovannini did — and actually wasn’t even sure what the whole thing was about, because he wasn’t aware of who Curry is.

Team Italy with Michele Malfatti, left, Andrea Giovannini, center, and Davide Ghiotto, right, celebrate winning the gold medal in the final of the men's team pursuit speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Hearing that, Giovannini joked: “Tonight we’ll watch a basketball game.”

The American trio of Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepurian — who got the bronze in the event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and set the world record in November — weren’t aware of Giovannini’s gesture.

“It’s better,” Lehman said with a big laugh, “than getting two middle fingers from the Russians four years ago.”

___

AP Sports Writer Daniella Matar contributed to this report.