It seems that the conflict between Ariana Fontana (32), the ‘short track legend’ of Italy, and the Italian Skating Federation is going to the extreme.
On the 24th (Korean time), Fontana posted a long article on his Instagram along with a photo on his way home from training in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and said, “I have an important decision ahead of me, and all the cards are gone. It’s on the table. Even things I wouldn’t have thought of.”
Fontana said in this letter that it was no longer possible for her to regain her own trust with the Italian Skating Federation.
“Since last April, there has been no constructive communication from the FISG (Italian Skating Sports Federation) about my participation in the 2026 Olympics,” she said. I will not tolerate it any longer.”
She took Fontana’s gold medal in the 500m and silver in the 1500m at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, increasing her career Olympic medal tally to 11 (2 gold, 4 silver and 5 bronze). Beginning with the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, she won the most medals in short track speed skating at the Fontana Olympics.
However, Fontana is suffering from a long conflict with her country’s skating federation. After the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Fontana had an unresolved conflict with her country’s skating federation over having her husband, Anthony Robello, as her personal coach. 메이저놀이터
Fontana has expressed extraordinary pride in being an athlete representing Italy, saying, “I’d rather retire than change the country” despite the long-standing conflict with her country’s skating federation. I went to the United States to find out how it could help my Olympic journey,” he said, conveying a message hinting at naturalization in the United States.
The 2026 Olympics will be co-hosted by Milan and Cortina, Italy’s two cities, Fontana’s home country.
There is a possibility that a legend representing the world women’s short track speed skating beyond Italy will participate in the Olympics with a foreign country’s flag.
At the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Viktor Ahn (Ahn Hyeon-soo) changed his nationality to Russia and won three gold medals and one bronze medal.
2018 PyeongChang Olympic gold medalist Lim Hyo-jun changed his name to Lin Xiaojun and became a naturalized Chinese citizen. Hungarian brothers Liu Shaoang and Liu Xiaolin Sandor, who jointly won the men’s 5000m relay gold medal at the Pyeongchang Olympics and won medals at last year’s Beijing Olympics, also moved to China. After changing nationality, he is poised to participate in the 2026 Olympics.
As Fontana, a female athlete, is weighing naturalization in the United States, the scenario that several world-class athletes will change their nationality at the next Olympics cannot be ruled out.
Fontana is not active as an Italian national team, such as not participating in the 2023 International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track European Championships, which recently ended in Gdansk, Poland.