Thu Sep 19 11:08:02 UTC 2024: ## Italian Short Track Star Arianna Fontana Aims for Historic Double at Milano-Cortina 2026
**MILAN, ITALY** – Eleven-time Olympic medalist Arianna Fontana, Italy’s most decorated Winter Olympian, is setting her sights on an unprecedented feat at the 2026 Games in Milano-Cortina: competing in both short track and long track speed skating.
Fontana, a legend in short track, has been considering the double since the successful bid for the Milano-Cortina Games. She believes the competition calendar allows her to participate in both disciplines and sees it as a chance to “do something amazing” in her home country, 20 years after her first Olympic appearance in Torino.
Despite facing challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic and logistical hurdles, Fontana’s commitment to the double remains unwavering. She aims to compete in the newly added mass start and team pursuit events in long track, a discipline she’s already begun training for in both Montreal and Utah.
While Fontana acknowledges the differences in technique and strategy between the two disciplines, she’s determined to qualify for World Cups in both short track and speed skating in the 2024-25 season.
With her unwavering dedication and previous experience doubling in competition as a 12-year-old, Fontana is motivated by the possibility of achieving what no other Italian athlete has done: medaling in six consecutive Olympic Games, a feat only achieved by luge legend Armin Zoggeler.
Fontana’s potential double would not only make history for Italy but also solidify her place as one of the most versatile and accomplished Winter Olympians of all time.
First Piper 