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Arianna Fontana lost her words after yet another medal

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“I am speechless really because being here today, competitive, was not a foregone conclusion – said Arianna Fontana to the microphones of Rai Sport after her silver in the 500 meters of the short track at the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina 2026 -. I was hurt in October, so I could not prepare for the 500 as I wanted to. I really did very few starts, very little speed and somehow, I don&#8217t know how, my team and I managed to recover from the injury and be here, at 35 years old, fighting against the strongest who are even 10 years younger than me. In just a few months, we have done something truly unique”.

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Lara Naki Guttman is the'only Italian admitted to the women&#039s single skating event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics.
At 23 years old she combines technique and expressiveness by building programs where music, costumes and storytelling come together.
The middle name Naki means 'firstborn' in Ghanaian, chosen by the parents in memory of a dear friend.
Born in Trent on Nov. 6, 2002, she approaches skating at three years after the 2006 Turin Olympics.
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From 2021 to 2023 she wins three consecutive Italian titles, to which she adds the one in 2026.

In November 2024 she wins third place at Finlandia Trophy, first podium in ISU Grand Prix circuit.
She is summoned to Tokyo for the World Team Trophy where she contributes a historic third place.
In January 2026 she hits bronze at the European Championships in Sheffield, first Italian on the continental podium for eight years.
Growing up inspired by South Korean Yuna Kim, in her free time she loves to read and relax at Lake Garda.
The daily routine involves three hours on the ice and one'hour off-ice workout between dance and pilates.
Study exercise science online in third year, reconciling college and sports career.

He trains in Trent with periodic trips to Switzerland, d'summer he takes breaks at the lake.

In the palmarès four Italian titles, one European bronze and personal best of 204.29 points at Skate America 2025.

“I wanted to be here in the best possible condition – added the champion from Valtellina -It was not the easiest approach however, I have to thank my staff, my team, my club, the support of CONI, everyone really gave me a big hand. I came here and I had some doubts not about how I felt but how I would be able to compete because having competed very little during the season I wasn&#8217t very convinced of what I could do however the work we have done is paying off”.

Fontana also commented on Federica Brignone&#8217s two wonderful gold medals in the women&#8217s super-G and Francesca Lollobrigida&#8217s encore in the 5,000-meter skating: “Federica moved me this morning, she was fantastic, Lollo I saw her just before coming here and she gave me a crazy charge because then you see her, the grit she has in the last laps. What she did today again, hats off to her, and so I couldn”t be any less in short this evening”.

Arianna Fontana won her 13th career medal at the Olympic Games, equaling Edoardo Mangiarotti’s historic record (13 Olympic medals in fencing between 1936 and 1960). In the six consecutive editions of the Games (Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018, Beijing 2022, and Milan Cortina 2026), the Italian skater has always medaled: before her, only Armin Zöggeler, world luge legend, had succeeded, standing on the podium from Lillehammer 1994 to Sochi 2014.

Arianna Fontana’s palmarès includes three Olympic gold medals (mixed relay Milan Cortina 2026, plus individual ones in the 500 meters in Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022), five silver medals (in addition to today’s, also in the 500 meters in 2014, in the 3000 meters relay in 2018, in the 1500 meters and 2000 meters relay in 2022) and five bronze medals (3000 meters relay in 2006, 500 meters in 2010, 1500 meters and 3000 meters relay in 2014, 1000 meters in 2018).

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