Arianna Fontana jumped out to an early lead in the 500 meters speeding skating final. An Olympic silver medalist in 2014, the Italian never relinquished her advantage to any of the other four skaters. One finalist tumbled into the sideboard. Cheered on by the home crowd, the South Korean skater tried to overtake Fontana. Within seconds it was over. They seemed to cross the line simultaneously. A photo finish. 

Somewhere in the arena, Anthony Lobello cheered his wife’s accomplishment. For the world, it meant Italian gold at the Winter Olympics. But in a way, the dream was born in Tallahassee. Since 2006, individually or as a couple, their focus has been on winning one of three ribboned medals atop the Olympic pedestal. On Tuesday, they struck gold.