Arianna Fontana: Italian phenomenon wins 14th Olympic speed skating medal

She needed that mental fortitude in the build-up to the Games as a series of injuries – including a hip issue in October – hampered her preparations.

It put paid to Fontana’s plan to also enter long track events, forcing her to concentrate on her signature shorter disciplines.

It was a decision she took with her coach and husband Anthony Lobello after spending four years travelling the world to various competitions.

“We understand each other, he understands exactly what I need,” said Fontana. “We do try not to talk about work at home.”

She needed all her nous in the 500m. In the semi-final, as chaos unfurled all around her at the start – including medal rival Michelle Velzeboer falling – she kept her focus and skated a clean race.

And in the final, Fontana needed running repairs to one of her skates after a first-corner collision with Selma Poutsma meant the race was restarted.

But she kept her nerve and held off late pressure from Poutsma and Courtney Sarault to make it lucky 13.

Then after the 1000m – where she looked in control of the quarter- and semi-finals, but in the medal race was crowded out and left with too much to do – she put aside the disappointment to play a key role in another team medal.

A good job, then, that she pushed away all nagging feelings that this might have been one Games too many.

Fontana admitted: “Sooner or later you are going to retire, and I have spoken to athletes who have. You just feel it, you give it all, then it is time to move on.

“For sure, having the Olympic Games in Italy was another motivation, if it was in another country, I don’t know.

“But I didn’t have that feeling I was done.”