Arianna Fontana

Arianna Fontana, the most decorated Italian Olympian Athlete, with fourteen medals in short track.

Arianna Fontana OMRI (born 14 April 1990) is an Italian short track speed skater and the first woman to win Olympic medals in six straight Winter Olympics. Specializing in the 500 m event, among her fourteen Olympic medals are two gold medals in the 500 m short track, one at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the second one at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, as well as a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics 2000 m mixed relay in her home country of Italy.

Career Fontana started skating at the age of four, following in the footsteps of her brother Alessandro, She first trained in Lanzada until the rink there closed , when she switched her training base to Bormio.

Fontana made her international championship debut at the 2006 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Krynica-Zdrój, where she took the overall silver medal. Following the 2006 Games, Fontana and her relay team-mates were appointed Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she won a bronze medal in the 500-metre event, was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 1500 metre event, and was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 1000 metre event. Her 500m bronze made her the first Italian to take an individual Olympic medal in short track. and married in May 2014 in Colico. The couple split their time between homes in Valtellina, Courmayeur and Tallahassee, Florida.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, she was upgraded from a bronze to a silver medal in the 500 m event after colliding with British skater Elise Christie. Christie was disqualified after causing a crash in the final. She won a bronze medal in the 1500 m event and the Team-event and was disqualified in the 1000 m event. Following the Games, Lobello began coaching Fontana following his retirement from competition. The following year Fontana took her first title at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, winning the gold in the 1500m and taking the overall silver. She was the first short track skater to be selected as flag bearer for the Italian Olympic team and the second flag bearer from the Italian Ice Sports Federation, after Carolina Kostner. She won her first Olympic gold medal there, in the 500 m event. She was the first European to win a 500 m Olympic gold.

Olympic results