Italians feel 'Olympic spirit' as hosts face France in women's ice hockey

VIDEO SHOWS: ITALIAN FANS ARRIVING AT ICE HOCKEY STADIUM FOR THE WOMEN'S GAME BETWEEN ITALY AND FRANCE AT THE WINTER OLYMPICS RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: MILAN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 5, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) 1. FRENCH HOCKEY FANS 2. FANS ARRIVING 3. ITALIAN HOCKEY FANS 4. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING PAST OLYMPIC ICE HOCKEY ARENA 5. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE QUEUEING TO ENTER SECURITY TENTS 6. SIGN READING: “MILANO CORTINA 2026" 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) LOMBARDY RESIDENT, LORENZO SANTAMBROGIO, SAYING     “It is always ready at the last moment. I think this is what happens everywhere in the world sincerely. There is always a lot of work for these huge events. It  arrives at the last minute but it always arrives and crosses the finish line." 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM COLORADO, BOBBY MUSGRAVE, SAYING:     “It sounds like typical Italian to me. In Italy, usually everything is delayed but they tend to pull it together at the end.” 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) MILAN RESIDENT, MARTINA RANIERI, SAYING:     "Yes, some things could have been handled better, some perhaps even worse but there you go. But as soon as it arrived I felt a bit of an Olympic spirit in the preparations in the city this month.” 10. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING PAST OLYMPIC ICE HOCKEY ARENA 11. PEOPLE WALKING OVER STENCIL ON PAVEMENT, READING (English): “MILANO CORTINA 2026 – IT’S YOUR VIBE” 12. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING 13. FOAM HAND WITH MILANO CORTINA LOGO STORY: Tournament underdogs Italy got the party started in front of their home fans on Thursday, earning its first-ever women's ice hockey win in an Olympics with a 4-1 victory over France in front of a raucous crowd at Santagiulia Arena. The action kicked off without any issues at the newly built venue in Milan, as over 9,000 people gathered to watch the match wrapped in flags in a joyful mood, helping shrug off previous concerns that 15,300-seat Santagiulia would not be ready for the event. Organizers worked around the clock until as late as Thursday morning to have the venue fit for Thursday's game, with dozens of people busy laying cables, finishing interiors, cleaning and setting up hospitality areas. Thursday's win is expected to create growing enthusiasm around the team as Italy proceeds in a tournament that features the world's hockey heavyweights, including Beijing 2022 medallists Canada, United States and Finland. Fans in the arena repeatedly chanted "Italia, Italia" with growing enthusiasm as Italy scored four unanswered goals after falling behind 0-1. (Production: Alex Fraser, Noemie Olive, Tim Hart)

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