Fontana tops medal tally

Italian's latest wins make her the most-decorated Games short-track skater

Italy's Arianna Fontana defended her gold in the women's 500m at her fifth Olympics on Monday, bringing her total medal tally to 10 and making her the most-decorated short-track speed skater of either gender in Olympic history.

"I don't know what to say about it," the 31-year-old said after winning her latest gold.

"When I was a little kid, I just wanted to go to the Olympics and win a gold medal. Now, I have two and eight more medals. It's incredible. There are no words to describe it."

Fontana had already made history on Saturday, when she and her teammates claimed the silver in the mixed team relay. That brought her medal total to nine, which was enough to surpass the two most successful male Olympic skaters ever, Viktor An from Russia and Apolo Anton Ohno from the United States.

"I've been around for a long time," Fontana said after winning the silver in Beijing.

"I'm happy to be there with them and now ahead of them by one medal. That doesn't mean I'm better. They were great when they skated, and that will never change－just a different era."

Fontana began inline skating in Sondrio, Italy, at age 4 and later took up short track in Valmalenco.

She became the youngest Italian to win a medal at the Olympic Winter Games in Turin in 2006, when she claimed bronze in the 3,000m relay at the age of 15 years and 314 days.

It was Italy's first-ever Olympic medal in a women's short track event.

Four years later in Vancouver, she became the first Italian female skater to win an individual Olympic medal in short track when she won bronze in the 500m.

At the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, she became the first female short track athlete to win seven career medals at the Games when she took silver in the 3,000m relay. Two days later, she won bronze in the 1,000m.

Her 10-medal tally equals Italy's Winter Games record, set by cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo. Both athletes have won two golds, three silvers and five bronzes. The only Italian to win more than 10 medals is fencer Edoardo Mangiarotti, who claimed 13 at the Summer Games.

Fontana's road to Beijing was full of twists and turns.

She relocated to Budapest, Hungary, in July 2020 to prepare for the 2022 Games alongside her husband, Anthony Lobello, and the Hungarian national team. She made the decision to leave Italy following a disagreement with national coaches and the Italian Ice Sports Federation.

"I went to Hungary and then back to Italy, and COVID happened. A lot of things we went through the last few years, we were able to hang on," she said after her victory on Monday.

"My husband and my coach say all the time, 'We need to be agile－all style'. So, tonight was incredible. I told them I was going to come back and win again, and here I am."

She could add to her tally in Beijing if she places in upcoming races, such as the women's 3,000m relay on Feb 13.