The endless cacophony of ambulance sirens. The convoys of military trucks carrying away the overflowing coffins. The funerals — or lack thereof. Nobody who lived through the initial wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Bergamo — the first epicenter of COVID-19 in Europe — will ever forget it.

For Sofia Goggia and Michela Moioli, the city’s two Olympic champions — Goggia in skiing’s downhill and Moioli in snowboard cross — those dark days in March and April 2020 serve as a source of inspiration as they seek to honor the greater Bergamo area’s 6,000 dead by defending their gold medals at next month’s Beijing Games. Since last season, Goggia has competed with the outline of Bergamo’s skyline drawn onto the back of her helmet.