Valentina Vezzali belongs to the record of fencing as a competitor whose results still define part of the sport.
The record lists Valentina Vezzali as Italian fencer and politician.
Valentina Vezzali was born at Jesi in 1974. Her recorded nationality is Italy.
By this period sport was fully international, televised and politicised, and an athlete's reach extended far past the field of play.
She competed at fencing at the 1996 Summer Olympics – women's foil, fencing at the 2000 Summer Olympics – women's foil and fencing at the 2004 Summer Olympics – women's foil.
In sport the margin between the remembered and the forgotten is often a fraction of a second.
The honours record reads: Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2000) and Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2008).
That the career was built from Italy matters: facilities, coaching and funding are unevenly distributed, and they decide who ever reaches the start line.
What survives is the record itself - times, placings and titles that later competitors still measure themselves against.
Achievements
- Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic — 2000
- Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic — 2008
- Competed at fencing at the 1996 Summer Olympics – women's foil, fencing at the 2000 Summer Olympics – women's foil and fencing at the 2004 Summer Olympics – women's foil
- Discipline: fencing
