Arianna Fontana

Reason for choosing this sport

She followed her older brother Alessandro into the sport. He had started skating a year before her. "I liked winning as a child."

Awards and honours

In 2020 she received the Cristallo d'Oro [Golden Crystal] Award from the Italian Winter Sports Federation [FISI] and the Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. (gazzetta.it, 01 Aug 2020; fisg.it, 02 Aug 2020) She was named Best Female Athlete of the Olympic Winter Games at the 2018 Association of National Olympic Committees [ANOC] awards. (anocolympic.org, 2018; FISG, 09 Oct 2019) She was flag bearer for Italy at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. She had performed the same role at the closing ceremony of the 2014 Games in Sochi. (isu.org, 10 Feb 2018; insidethegames.biz, 22 Oct 2017) She was made a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2006. (quirinale.it, 2006)

Name of coach	Anthony Lobello [husband, personal]
When and where did you begin this sport?	She began inline skating at age four in Sondrio, Italy, and later took up short track in Valmalenco, Italy.

Other information	MOVE TO HUNGARY In July 2020 she relocated to Budapest, Hungary, in order to prepare for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing alongside her husband Anthony Lobello and the Hungarian national team. She made the decision to leave Italy following a disagreement with national coaches and Italian Ice Sports Federation [FISG]. "There were some problems with the coaches and a little bit with the federation. The environment within the team was not professional, so the decision to move to another country was already taken at the end of the season [2019/20]." (lastampa.it, 18 Jul 2020; corrieredellosport.it, 18 Jul 2020; teleunica.tv, 03 Nov 2020)
Most influential person in career	Her husband Anthony Lobello, and Bulgarian short track skater Evgenia Radanova. (Athlete, 08 Nov 2017)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Believe in more. Find more inspiration. Your biggest obstacles are internal. Dig deep to dig them out." (FISG, 09 Oct 2019)

www.facebook.com/arianna.fontana.12
twitter.com/AryFonta

Famous relatives	Her husband Anthony Lobello has competed in short track at the Olympic Winter Games. He represented the United States of America at the 2006 Games in Turin, and skated for Italy at the 2014 Games in Sochi. (SportsDeskOnline, 02 Feb 2017; Athlete, 01 Feb 2017)
Nicknames	Ary, Freccia Bionda [Blond Arrow], Angelo Biondo [Blond Angel]. (Instagram profile, 01 Feb 2017; repubblica.it, 15 Jan 2017; eurosport.com, 30 Nov 2016)
Injuries	She struggled with an ankle injury during the 2019 season. (Instagram profile, 21 Jun 2021) At age 12 she broke her ankle and was unable to skate for three months. (Athlete, 08 Nov 2017)
Hero / Idol	Italian motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi. (Athlete, 08 Nov 2017)
Ambitions	After retiring from competition, she aspires to get involved in politics. (oasport.it, 29 May 2018; ilsussidiario.net, 04 Mar 2018)
Milestones	She became the first athlete representing Italy to win 11 career medals in any sport at the Olympic Winter Games when she claimed silver in the 1500m at the 2022 Games in Beijing. By winning three total medals in Beijing, the 2022 Games also saw her surpass the Russian Federation's Victor An and the United States of America's Apolo Anton Ohno [on eight medals each] to set a record for most medals won by a short track athlete at the Olympic Winter Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 08 Sep 2022; olympics.com, 16 Feb 2022) She became the first Italian female skater to win an individual Olympic medal in short track when she claimed bronze in the 500m at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Four years earlier at the 2006 Games in Turin she was part of the team that finished third in the 3000m relay, which was Italy's first ever medal in a women's short track event at the Games. At age 15 years and 314 days, the 3000m relay bronze in Turin also made her the youngest Italian of any gender to win an Olympic Winter Games medal in any sport. (olympic.org, 05 Apr 2018; olympics.nbcsports.com, 24 Feb 2018; Emporio Armani Twitter page, 22 Feb 2018; ilsussidiario.net, 13 Feb 2012; ilgiornale.it, 24 Feb 2006; SportsDeskOnline, 10 Nov 2021)

Club / Team

IceLab: Bergamo, ITA

Hobbies

Shopping. (Twitter profile, 03 Nov 2021)