Feb 20 • 04:00 UTC 🇮🇹 Italy Il Giornale

The queens at the last ball. Fontana-Lollo for history

Arianna Fontana aims for her fifteenth Olympic medal in the 1500m event, potentially tying for third place in all-time Olympic medal counts.

In a remarkable display of determination and skill, Italian speed skater Arianna Fontana prepares for the final leg of her Olympic journey in the 1500 meters, where she seeks to secure her fifteenth Olympic medal. This achievement would see her tie with legendary athletes Marit Bjørgen and Nikolai Andrianov in the race for most career Olympic medals, with only Michael Phelps and Larisa Latynina ahead of them. The stakes are incredibly high, reflecting her two decades of dedication, hardships, and the personal sacrifices that have defined her career. Fontana's recent silver medal in the women's relay has already etched her name into history, being the first Italian to achieve fourteen Olympic podium appearances - a truly remarkable feat. As she reflects on the culmination of years of training and competition, she acknowledges the toll it has taken on her, stating she feels a mix of emotions about the journey that has led her here. The camaraderie within her team, especially with teammates like Pietro Sighel, adds another layer of complexity to her Olympic aspirations, highlighting the emotional and social dynamics at play in competitive sports. As Fontana approaches the race, she recounts the challenges faced during the competition, including earlier losses that stirred fierce emotions within her. Holding onto her resilience, she emphasizes the hunger for victory that remains with her. The proximity to victory was palpable in her previous races before narrowly missing out, and the silver medal, while an incredible achievement, leaves her yearning for more, pushing her to channel that fire into her forthcoming performance, aiming to come out on top in tonight's showdown.

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