Maria Valentina Vezzali (; born 14 February 1974) is an Italian politician and retired Olympic and World Champion foil fencer. As a fencer, Vezzali won six Olympic gold medals and was a 16-time World Champion in foil. She is one of only five athletes in the history of the Summer Olympic Games to have won five medals in the same individual event. She is widely considered to be the greatest women's foilist in fencing history.
In 2013, Vezzali became a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies as part of the Civic Choice party. In 2021, she became Italy's cabinet undersecretary in charge of sports.
Fencing As a child, she was first trained in fencing by her father, and then by the sword master Ezio Triccoli.
Vezzali was the first fencer in Olympic history to win three individual foil gold medals at three consecutive Olympics – Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. Vezzali won nine Olympic medals in all: five in individual foil (three gold, one silver, one bronze) and four in team foil (three gold, one bronze). She medaled in all five of her Olympic appearances from 1996 to 2012; she attempted to qualify for Rio 2016 at the age of 41, but did not gain enough points. Vezzali has the fourth-most Olympic medals (9) of any Italian athlete and the most of any female summer Olympian from Italy, behind fencer Edoardo Mangiarotti (13), short-track speed skater Arianna Fontana (11) and cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo (10).
She also won sixteen gold medals at the World Fencing Championships, six in individual competitions (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011) and another ten in team competitions (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015), plus six silver medals (two individual, 1994 and 2006, and four with Italian team, in 1994, 2006, 2011, 2016) and four bronze medals (individual, 1995, 1998, 2012 and 2014).
In European championships, she won nine gold medals (individual: 1998, 1999, 2001, 2009, 2010; team: 1999, 2001, 2009, 2010), three silver medals (individual: 2003, 2007; team: 2007), two bronze medals (individual: 1993; team: 1998).
She was the official flag bearer of the 2012 Italy Olympic team in London.
In 2016, she came second at the Rio finals, failing to qualify for the next Olympics. She announced her retirement from fencing.
Political career Vezzali was a member of the Italian Parliament in the XVIIth Legislatura between 2013 and 2018. She was originally a member of the Civic Choice party led by Mario Monti. In 2021, she was named cabinet undersecretary in charge of sports for Italy. On 27 July 2022, Vezzali joined Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI).Vezzali entra in Forza Italia: "Pronta a contribuire con la mia esperienza", Corriere della Sera
Prize List Event Individual Team Total Olympics 311301612 World Championships 62410401664 European Championships 5328121343 Total 1467215335119 Fencing World Cup Foil (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010)
Achievements
Olympic Games Year Competition Venue Position Event1996Olympic Games Atlanta2nd Foil individual1st Foil Team2000Olympic Games Sydney1st Foil individual1st Foil Team2004Olympic Games Athens1st Foil individual2008Olympic Games Beijing1st Foil individual3rd Foil Team2012Olympic Games London3rd Foil individual1st Foil Team
World Championships Season Competition Venue Position Event1993World Fencing Championships Essen 6th Foil individual1994World Fencing Championships Athens2nd Foil individual2nd Team Foil1995World Fencing Championships The Hague3rd Foil individual1st Team Foil1997World Fencing Championships Cape Town1st Team Foil1998World Fencing Championships La Chaux-de-Fonds3rd Foil individual1st Team Foil1999World Fencing Championships Seoul1st Foil individual2001World Fencing Championships Nimes1st Foil individual1st Team Foil2003World Fencing Championships Havana1st Foil individual2004World Fencing Championships New York1st Team Foil2005World Fencing Championships Leipzig1st Foil individual2006World Fencing Championships Turin2nd Foil individual2nd Team Foil2007World Fencing Championships Saint Petersburg1st Foil individual2009World Fencing Championships Antalya5th Foil individual1st Team Foil2010World Fencing Championships Paris3rd Foil individual1st Team Foil2011World Fencing Championships Catania1st Foil individual2nd Team Foil2013World Fencing Championships Budapest1st Team Foil2014World Fencing Championships Kazan1st Team Foil3rd Foil individual2015World Fencing Championships Moscow1st Team Foil2016World Fencing Championships Rio de Janeiro2nd Team Foil
Honors
: Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Italian for: Grand Officer Order of Merit of the Italian Republic), 1 September 2008. Grande Ufficiale Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana Sig.ra Valentina Vezzali. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
Publications
Personal life She married Italian football player Domenico Giugliano and has two sons: Pietro, born on 9 June 2005, and Andrea, born on 16 May 2013. Vezzali is Catholic.
See also Walk of Fame of Italian sport Multiple Olympic medalists | Multiple Olympic gold medalists | Multiple Summer Olympic medalists | Multiple Olympic medalists in one event
Further reading
References
External links
Valentina Vezzali at the Italian Fencing Federation (archived)
(archived)