OLYMPICS: Two decades on, Arianna Fontana comes home for one more Olympic run

The evening after returning from the European Championships, Arianna Fontana’s parents’ kitchen comes alive with laughter, chatter, and the smell of Italian cooking. Cousins, neighbors, children, and friends spill in, plates clatter, chairs scrape, and bottles of wine are opened to celebrate her latest short track victory in the Netherlands.

Fontana moves seamlessly through the crowd — hugging, laughing, scooping up her baby niece, and helping her mother serve pizzocheri and taroz — in the very house where she grew up in northern Italy’s Valtellina valley.

“First thing is to go and see my parents. I need a hug from them,” she says. “And then obviously food in Italy, it’s a big thing.”

Twenty years after her Olympic debut in Turin, Italy’s most decorated winter athlete is preparing for another Games on home soil. No longer a teenage prodigy, Fontana, 35, may be approaching the final chapter of her skating career.

She was just 15 when she won bronze in the 3,000-meter relay at the 2006 Turin Olympics, becoming Italy’s youngest Winter Olympic medalist. Now she heads to her sixth Games in Milano Cortina, where she will carry the Italian flag and bring 11 Olympic medals — the most in short track history.

“I’m really fortunate … I get to do it twice in my career,” she said of competing before a home crowd.

Balancing Fire and Experience

Much has changed since 2006, starting with how Fontana balances the drive that made her a champion with the needs of her body.

Some adjustments are subtle — shifts in diet, recovery routines, and training schedules. “If I take out all the dairy … and sugar — unfortunately for me, because I like sweets — my body recovers faster,” she said. “I can’t train like a 20-year-old, so my training needs to reflect that.”

Her husband, Anthony Lobello, now her coach, has been key to refining her approach. He studies rivals’ tendencies, advises on strategies, and even customizes her skate blades. When everything aligns on the ice, they share a fist-bump.

Lobello compares their partnership to a Formula 1 pit team. “Arianna is a Formula 1 car — you need to put high-octane fuel into her. If she’s the car, I’m the engineer.”

Off the rink, they carefully separate marriage from coaching. “At 6 p.m., we don’t talk about skating or training anymore,” Fontana said. “Once a week we go out for dinner or a walk — just to separate the two figures, coach and athlete, husband and wife.”

Staying Sharp on the Ice

Fontana’s start remains explosive, and the 500 meters is still her favorite. “I always liked speed … I always liked to be the fastest,” she said. “I make myself a little bigger so people stay away … I’m not there to play around.”

In her hometown of Berbenno, locals know her by first name alone. Bars are covered with signed photos, and her parents’ home is lined with medals and souvenirs from her travels. She even has the keys to the local gym, where she trained before the Beijing Olympics, starting at 5 a.m.

Her father, Renato, keeps large photo albums documenting her life since age six, while her mother rallies the hometown fan club. For previous Olympics, they set up screens so locals could watch her races together.

Fontana also carries personal talismans, like a tattoo of the giuèt, a mythical Valtellina forest creature, and a meat slicer with bresaola, which has been her Olympic ritual for years.

Turning Chaos into Strategy

Short track is unpredictable, but Fontana has learned to control the chaos. “I always prepare and know what to expect,” she said. The mental game becomes even more important with age. “Your body can adapt to anything if your mind is ready.”

A torn quad last year prevented her from competing in long track, but she remains open to possibilities. Looking at Italy, she hopes to see more support for women’s sports, more rinks, and better ways for young athletes to balance school and training.

Looking Ahead

After races, Fontana enjoys simple rituals — long showers, sun, water, or fishing with Anthony. “I like to win,” she laughs. “The competitiveness is always there.”

Her future beyond skating remains open. She hopes to share her knowledge with others, helping people understand their bodies and health. Asked if Milano Cortina will be her final Games, she said:

“It could be the perfect ending … I’m not really thinking about quitting. Maybe I will feel it after these Games. I will let you know after the 22nd of February.” -Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne/Reuters