Arianna Fontana: The short track legend with her mind on Beijing and heart set on Milano Cortina 2026

At the first Short Track World Cup event of the 2021/22 season, which also doubled as an Olympic qualifier, Arianna Fontana took second place in the 500m race - her favourite distance. It was exactly 10 years after she triumphed for the first time on the elite circuit at age 21 in Saguenay, Canada.

This time, racing on the same rink that will be the official venue of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, she became the oldest short track speed skater ever to stand on a World Cup podium.

L’Angelo Biondo has lost count of the times she has won or raced but her Olympic memories remain clear. She has medalled at all of the four Olympic Winter Games she has competed in, beginning with her debut at Turin 2006, where she became Italy’s youngest medallist at the Winter Games at 15 years and 314 days old. Together with Apolo Ohno and Viktor An she holds the record for most Winter Olympic medals, with eight.

Olympics.com spoke to the timeless skater based in Bormio about her passion for short track, the Olympic season and what the Olympic Winter Games mean to her.

Olympics.com: You had a convincing start to the season with your win at the World Cup. Some 10 years have now passed since your first podium. How did that feel?

Arianna Fontana: Yes, my first World Cup win was in Canada, but I honestly didn’t remember that [the anniversary] and it’s definitely good news, as it seems that I’m the oldest [to have made it onto a World Cup podium]. But let’s just say the record of having had a 10 year career is nicer! It was an intense two weeks and it’s been great. It began with the goal of reaching the finals [A and B] to achieve a good ranking for the Olympics. Then, of course, if you reach the finals you’re competing for a medal.

OC: You're in your 16th season racing on the elite short track circuit. Has there been anything particularly hard for you to adapt to since you started?

AF: The sport has changed a lot since 2006. The manner in which you skate has changed, as well as the regulations. All of these changes caused short track to grow quickly and people who have been in the sport for as long as I have had to adapt accordingly. Luckily, I have been able to adapt easily, even though it’s been many years and there are always young, new athletes [to compete against]. But I’ve always managed - thanks also to my team - to be one step ahead. So maybe that has helped.

OC: Short track is a very nerve-wracking sport. How do you cope with a sport where your training and sacrifices can sometimes not matter because you are disqualified or fall?

AF: It's not easy, but we all know it's part of the game because the rules are quite strict and it’s a sport of speed and power. So much can happen in just a few seconds and it’s not even easy for the judges. Personally, I try to race as cleanly as possible to avoid penalties or getting disqualified, putting myself in the right position at the right time so I’m ready to take advantage of other people’s mistakes. But sometimes an athlete falls in front of you so you also fall. It happened to me last weekend and you need to pick yourself up and set your mind on the next race.

OC: How would you convince a young girl to start training for short track?

AF: Short track has many different characteristics rolled into one. It’s a sport that requires speed and explosiveness but you also need to be intelligent, be able to read and interpret the race, and tactics also come into the equation. So it has many components, you need to be good at a lot of different things, and I think women are good at that. It’s a women’s discipline, even though many think of it as a male sport due to it being quite physical. It involves many other qualities that women have and know how to use well.

OC: Your fifth Olympics are on the horizon. How have each of them been different for you, as an athlete and a person?

AF: They are all unique in terms of history, and in my mind. Honestly, I don’t think I have a favourite, they were all fantastic with good moments and beautiful memories.

OC: Let's start with Turin 2006.

AF: I was still 15, so I was a kid. Honestly, I only realised what had happened afterwards. When I was in Turin, I enjoyed the Olympic Village a lot. I tried to talk to other athletes, even those from other countries, even though my English was non-existent back then. But I was curious and I really wanted to enjoy the moment.

OC: Vancouver 2010.

AF: I wasn’t a teen anymore in Vancouver, so I wanted an individual medal. I was very focused on the goal and when it happened, I have an image of myself crossing the line, turning and… I saw my brother in the stands waving the Italian flag like crazy. It was an incredible moment for me, because until then my brother and I had always been at each other like cats and dogs. But that was the turning point - no longer love-hate, but more love. That was the greatest moment.

OC: Let’s move on to Sochi 2014.

AF: I was convinced Sochi would be my last Olympics. I was ready for everything, all of the distances. My goal was to reach the finals but I missed out on the 1000m because I was disqualified. But despite all of that, returning home with three medals wasn’t easy and then I ended up holding the Tricolour [Italian flag] at the Closing Ceremony. It was definitely an honour for me because it meant I had been recognised for all the work I had put in that season and at the Olympics.

OC: And PyeongChang 2018?

AF: I don’t even know how to describe PyeongChang 2018, it was all like a crescendo. It didn’t even know whether I would make it there. One day during the previous summer, I broke down in tears while talking to my coach Anthony. I was scared about going there and not being competitive. I was a little older than the other athletes. My biggest fear after bringing home three medals from Sochi was achieving less [in PyeongChang] - that would have been difficult for me to accept. But that day, he convinced me it wouldn’t be like that and that I had to trust him, his way of working… and myself. And then, what happened, happened.

OC: And it didn’t go too badly!

AF: [laughs] Exactly. If I’d had to predict the results, I wouldn’t have guessed what happened. It went more than well, those Olympics were full of emotions. But even there, on the second or third day, I was competing in the 1500 metres. I was in the final but I was feeling tired that day, so I was two steps behind the previous days when I’d been feeling good. So, afterwards, I had a day to recover my energy and threw everything into the relay and 1000m. We ended up with silver and bronze and finished well.

OC: What does it feel like to be heading to a fifth Olympic Winter Games?

AF: I’ll say it again, I was convinced Sochi would be my last Games, and yet here I am. Years ago, I would never have imagined I’d go as far as I have and still be in the condition I am in today. It’s an incentive, as even though the years are passing I feel better and better. We’ll see what happens in Beijing, but the goal remains the same: reach the final… reach all the finals. Once we’re there, everything is on the table.

OC: For a professional athlete, time is a crucial factor. You’re from Lombardy and were an ambassador for the Milano Cortina 2026 bid, and now the next Olympic Winter Games will be held in Italy. What would it mean to you to compete on this stage - where it all began for you?

AF: I'm tickled by the idea of having competed at my first Olympics in Turin and now at a last one in Italy… I don’t think any other athletes have done it, or had the chance to, or will even ever have the chance to do something like that. So I can’t deny it’s something I’m thinking about. There are a few things that have to take place in order for it to happen, because I’m certainly proving physically that it can be done. But we’ll see whether the right conditions are in place, because I’m not the sort of person who competes for competing’s sake. It’s certainly here [points to her head] in a hidden corner, but it’s there.