sport.wikisort.org - Athlete

Maria Valentina Vezzali (Italian pronunciation: [valenˈtiːna vetˈtsaːli]; born 14 February 1974)[1] is an Italian politician and retired fencer. As a fencer, Vezzali won six Olympic gold medals and was a 16-time World Champion in foil.[2][3] 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.

Valentina Vezzali
Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies[1]
In office 19 March 2013[1] – 22 March 2018
Personal details
Born	14 February 1974 Iesi, Marche, Italy
Political party	Civic Choice (2013–17) Independent (2017–22) Forza Italia (2022–present)
Spouse	Domenico Giugliano
Children	2
Profession	Agent of the Polizia di Stato[1]
Fencing career
Full name	Maria Valentina Vezzali[1]
Nickname(s)	Cobra
Height	1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight	53 kg (117 lb)
Country	Italy
Sport	Fencing
Weapon	Foil
Hand	right-handed
National coach	Andrea Cipressa
Club	G.S. Fiamme Oro
FIE ranking	rankings
Medal record Representing  Italy Women's fencing Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 6 1 2 World Championships 16 6 4 European Championships 13 4 3 Universiade 5 3 0 Mediterranean Games 2 0 0 Total (65) 42 14 9 Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta Foil team 2000 Sydney Foil individual 2000 Sydney Foil team 2004 Athens Foil individual 2008 Beijing Foil individual 2012 London Foil team 1996 Atlanta Foil individual 2008 Beijing Foil team 2012 London Foil individual World Championships 1995 The Hague Foil team 1997 Cape Town Foil team 1998 Le Chaux-de-Fonds Foil team 1999 Seoul Foil individual 2001 Nimes Foil individual 2001 Nimes Foil team 2003 Havana Foil individual 2004 New York Foil team 2005 Leipzig Foil individual 2007 St. Petersburg Foil individual 2009 Antalya Foil team 2010 Paris Foil team 2011 Catania Foil individual 2013 Budapest Foil team 2014 Kazan Foil team 2015 Moscow Foil team 1994 Athens Foil individual 1994 Athens Foil team 2006 Turin Foil individual 2006 Turin Foil team 2011 Catania Foil team 2016 Rio de Janeiro Foil team 1995 The Hague Foil individual 1998 Le Chaux-de-Fonds Foil individual 2010 Paris Foil individual 2014 Kazan Foil individual European Championships 13 (5 individual) 4 (3 individual) 3 (2 individual) Universiade 5 (4 individual) 3 (0 individual) 0 (0 individual) Mediterranean Games 2001 Tunis Foil individual 2009 Pescara Foil individual

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

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.[4] Vezzali has the third-most Olympic medals (9) of any Italian athlete and the most of any female summer Olympian from Italy, behind fencer Edoardo Mangiarotti (13) 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), 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).

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.[5] In 2021, she was named cabinet undersecretary in charge of sports for Italy.[6] On 27 July 2022, Vezzali joined Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI).[7]

Prize List

Event	Individual	Team	Total
Olympics	3	1	1	3	0	1	6	1	2
World Championships	6	2	4	10	4	0	16	6	4
European Championships	5	3	2	8	1	2	13	4	3
Total	14	6	7	21	5	3	35	11	9

Fencing World Cup

• Foil (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010)

Achievements

Olympic Games

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta	2nd	Foil individual
			1st	Foil Team
2000	Olympic Games	Sydney	1st	Foil individual
			1st	Foil Team
2004	Olympic Games	Athens	1st	Foil individual
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing	1st	Foil individual
			3rd	Foil Team
2012	Olympic Games	London	3rd	Foil individual
			1st	Foil Team

World Championships

Season	Competition	Venue	Position	Event
1993	World Fencing Championships	Essen	6th	Foil individual
1994	World Fencing Championships	Athens	2nd	Foil individual
			2nd	Team Foil
1995	World Fencing Championships	The Hague	3rd	Foil individual
			1st	Team Foil
1997	World Fencing Championships	Cape Town	1st	Team Foil
1998	World Fencing Championships	La Chaux-de-Fonds	3rd	Foil individual
			1st	Team Foil
1999	World Fencing Championships	Seoul	1st	Foil individual
2001	World Fencing Championships	Nimes	1st	Foil individual
			1st	Team Foil
2003	World Fencing Championships	Havana	1st	Foil individual
2004	World Fencing Championships	New York	1st	Team Foil
2005	World Fencing Championships	Leipzig	1st	Foil individual
2006	World Fencing Championships	Turin	2nd	Foil individual
			2nd	Team Foil
2007	World Fencing Championships	St. Petersberg	1st	Foil individual
2009	World Fencing Championships	Antalya	5th	Foil individual
			1st	Team Foil
2010	World Fencing Championships	Paris	3rd	Foil individual
			1st	Team Foil
2011	World Fencing Championships	Catania	1st	Foil individual
			2nd	Team Foil
2013	World Fencing Championships	Budapest	1st	Team Foil
2014	World Fencing Championships	Kazan	1st	Team Foil
			3rd	Foil individual
2015	World Fencing Championships	Moscow	1st	Team Foil
2016	World Fencing Championships	Rio de Janeiro	2nd	Team Foil

Honours and awards

 Italy: Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Italian for: Grand Officer Order of Merit of the Italian Republic), 1 September 2008.[8]

Personal life

She published two autobiographies: A viso scoperto ("With uncovered face"), written with Caterina Luchetti in 2006,[9] and Io, Valentina Vezzali, written with Betta Carbone in 2012.[10] She married Italian soccer player Domenico Giugliano and has two sons: Pietro, born on 9 June 2005,[11] and Andrea, born on 16 May 2013.[12]

See also

• Walk of Fame of Italian sport
• List of cultural icons of Italy
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of multiple Olympic medalists
• List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists
• List of multiple Olympic medalists in one event
• Multiple medallist at the World Fencing Championships
• Italian sportswomen multiple medalists at Olympics and World Championships
• Italian fencer multiple medallists at the Olympics
• Italian fencer multiple medallists at the World Championships
• List of Scelta Civica politicians

References

External links

• Valentina Vezzali at FIE
• Valentina Vezzali at European Fencing Confederation
• Valentina Vezzali at Olympics.com
• Valentina Vezzali at Olympedia
• Valentina Vezzali at the Italian National Olympic Committee (in Italian)
• Valentina Vezzali at Italian Fencing Federation
• Official website ^{[dead link]}

Awards
Preceded by Stefania Belmondo Stefania Belmondo Vanessa Ferrari	Italian Sportswoman of the Year 2000–2001 2003–2005 2007	Succeeded by Stefania Belmondo Vanessa Ferrari Federica Pellegrini
Summer Olympics
Preceded by Antonio Rossi	Flag bearer for Italy London 2012	Succeeded by Federica Pellegrini

На других языках

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- [en] Valentina Vezzali

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[es] Valentina Vezzali

Maria Valentina Vezzali (Iesi, 14 de febrero de 1974) es una deportista italiana que compitió en esgrima, especialista en la modalidad de florete. En su larga carrera deportiva se convirtió en la esgrimidora más laureada de la historia, con 6 títulos olímpicos, 16 mundiales y 13 de Europa.

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[it] Valentina Vezzali

Maria Valentina Vezzali, nota come Valentina Vezzali (Jesi, 14 febbraio 1974) è una politica ed ex schermitrice italiana, specialista del fioretto.

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[ru] Веццали, Валентина

Мари́я Валенти́на Вецца́ли (итал. Maria Valentina Vezzali, род. 14 февраля 1974 года в Ези, Италия) — выдающаяся итальянская фехтовальщица на рапирах, шестикратная олимпийская чемпионка, 16-кратная чемпионка мира и 13-кратная чемпионка Европы.

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