“Had people that didn’t want me here” – Italian speedskater Arianna Fontana makes hard-hitting statement with ‘golden kiss’

“Had people that didn’t want me here” – Italian speedskater Arianna Fontana makes hard-hitting statement with ‘golden kiss’

Arianna Fontana and her partner Anthony Lobello Jr.

Italian short-track speedskater Arianna Fontana collected her second Olympic medal on Monday at the Beijing 2022. This marked the 10th overall medal of Fontana’s Olympics career and she celebrated while pumping her fists and yelling with emotion.

It was an uncharacteristic celebration for the Sondrio native, who said the screams were her way of releasing “anger” over the lack of support from her native country, Italy.

“We had people that didn’t want me here. My federation wasn’t really supportive with me having my husband as a coach,” Fontana told reporters after winning gold in the 500 meters, defeating the reigning world champion ice skater from the Netherlands, Suzanne Schulting. 

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Arianna, 31, celebrated the win by skating over to her husband, Anthony Lobello Jr. for a kiss, who is apparently her coach as well.

“Federation officials they didn’t even come up and say congratulations”

Arianna Fontana
Arianna Fontana

The Italian skating officials took issue with Fontana’s American husband and a former American short track skater, being her coach. The situation has been brewing since the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games when Fontana won her first 500m gold.

As a result, the couple had left Italy for Hungary, only to return late last year to train with the Italian team.

“When I crossed the line — all that yelling — I don’t usually yell, it was just a way to let it out, all that anger,” she said. “Me and my family had to go through a bad situation, people that didn’t want me here. They didn’t want me having my husband as coach, but today we proved he was the best possible coach. They didn’t help. In fact, they tried to find ways that we wouldn’t be here at all. It was tough.

“Today we proved that he’s an amazing coach. It was my best choice, my best decision to have him on my side.” 

She added: “I saw a couple of (Federation officials) in the hallway — they didn’t even come up and say congratulations. I wasn’t looking for them to come up to me. It’s actually better if they stay away.”

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