Italy's Fontana Wins 13th Olympic Medal at Age 35

At 35, most Olympic athletes have long since retired, but Arianna Fontana just proved age is just a number by claiming her 13th Olympic medal on home ice in Milan.

The Italian speed skater captured silver in the 500m race, matching her country's all-time Olympic medal record held by fencer Edoardo Mangiarotti. She's now the only woman to reach the podium at six straight Winter Games.

Twenty years ago, Fontana was a wide-eyed 15-year-old winning bronze at her first home Olympics in Turin. She remembers having no idea what was happening as her entire hometown turned out to celebrate.

This time around, she led Italy into the opening ceremony at San Siro stadium, carrying the flag as tens of thousands of compatriots cheered. The unknown teenager had become the face of the Games.

The journey to lucky number 13 wasn't easy. A series of injuries, including a hip problem in October, forced Fontana to scrap plans to compete in long track events and focus only on her signature short distances.

Working with her coach and husband Anthony Lobello, she made the tough call to scale back after four years of traveling the world for competitions. The mental break proved crucial.

"I have the same drive I did when I was 15," Fontana explained. "I never get on the ice just to show up."

Why This Inspires

Fontana's secret isn't just physical training. She credits understanding her body and mental fitness, taking breaks when needed, and managing the pressure elite athletes put on themselves.

In Thursday's semi-final, chaos erupted around her at the start with rival skaters falling. She kept her cool and skated clean.

During the final, her skate needed emergency repairs after a first-corner collision forced a restart. Again, she stayed focused and held off late pressure to claim silver.

She admits wondering if this might be one Games too many. But competing at home in Milan gave her one more push, and she didn't feel done yet.

After 20 years of Olympic excellence, Fontana knows retirement will come eventually. Just not today.