Maria Valentina Vezzali (Italian pronunciation: [valenˈtiːna vetˈtsaːli]; born 14 February 1974)^[1] 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.^[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.

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.

As a child, she was first trained in fencing by her father, and then by the sword master Ezio Triccoli.^[4]

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.^[5] 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.^[6]

In 2016, she came second at the Rio finals, failing to qualify for the next Olympics. She announced her retirement from fencing.^[4]

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.^[7] In 2021, she was named cabinet undersecretary in charge of sports for Italy.^[8] On 27 July 2022, Vezzali joined Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI).^[9]

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)

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

[edit]

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	Saint Petersburg	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

Italy: Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Italian for: Grand Officer Order of Merit of the Italian Republic), 1 September 2008.^[10]

Vezzali, Valentina; Luchetti, Caterina (2006). A viso scoperto [With uncovered face] (in Italian). Dalai Editore. ISBN 978-8866203551.
Vezzali, Valentina; Carbone, Betta (2012). Io, Valentina Vezzali (in Italian). Milan: Dalai Editore. ISBN 978-88-6620-355-1.

She married Italian football player Domenico Giugliano and has two sons: Pietro, born on 9 June 2005,^[11] and Andrea, born on 16 May 2013.^[12] Vezzali is Catholic.^[13]^[14]

Marabini, Paolo (2022). Valentina Vezzali, la regine de Fioretto. Bolis Edizione. ISBN 9788878275201.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Profile of Valentina Vezzali". The official website of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
^ "Olympics Statistics: Valentina Vezzali". databaseolympics.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
^ "Valentina Vezzali Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
^ ^a ^b Kefi, Ramsès. "Valentina Vezzali, l'adieu aux lames". Libération (in French). Retrieved 18 October 2024.
^ "Fencing great Valentina Vezzali fails to qualify for Rio 2016". OlympicTalk | NBC Sports. Associated Press. 28 November 2015.
^ Zara, Furio (14 February 2024). "Valentina Vezzali, cinquant'anni da regina del fioretto". Vanity Fair Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 18 October 2024.
^ "XVII Legislatura - XVII Legislatura - Deputati e Organi - Scheda deputato - VEZZALI Maria Valentina". www.camera.it (in Italian).
^ "Olympic champion Vezzali to oversee sports in Italy". AP NEWS. 12 March 2021.
^ Vezzali entra in Forza Italia: "Pronta a contribuire con la mia esperienza", Corriere della Sera
^ (in Italian) Grande Ufficiale Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana Sig.ra Valentina Vezzali. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
^ Harkins, Craig (15 July 2005). "Interview: Valentina Vezzali". fencing.net. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
^ Staff (22 July 2013). "Fencing, Vezzali to take part in World Championships less than 3 months after giving birth". La Gazzetta dello Sport. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
^ "Being a mother is the greatest privilege of all". 19 December 2012.
^ Giordano, Lucio (9 August 2024). "Credo nel Signore e nella Sua misericordia, ma da separata non mi sono sentita una buona cristiana". Dipiù (in Italian). No. 31. pp. 74–77.

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