Valentina VEZZALI

In Beijing, Valentina Vezzali became the first woman in Olympic history to win five gold medals in fencing. Between 1996 and 2008, she has won the individual foil three times (2000, 2004, 2008) and the team competition twice (1996, 2000). She has also won an individual silver (1996) and a team bronze (2008), bringing her Olympic medal total to seven, second only to team mate and her opponent in the 2004 final, Giovanna Trillini. Outside of the Olympics, Vezzali’s record is no less impressive: she won 11 world titles in foil fencing (five individual, six team) and 17 medals in total, as well as nine European titles (five individual, four team). Between 1996 and 2008, she also won the women’s foil World Cup a record ten times, and her extensive medal cabinet also features gold medals from the Mediterranean Games and Universiads.