OLYMPICS: Short track-Italy's Fontana enjoys silver lining as she matches record

MILAN, Italy – Italian short track skater Arianna Fontana settled for silver in the Olympic 500 meters on Thursday but celebrated matching the record of Italy's most decorated Olympian.

With 13 Olympic medals across six Games, Fontana now equals fencer Edoardo Mangiarotti, who competed in five Olympics from 1936 to 1960, for the most Olympic medals won by an Italian athlete.

Fontana, who won the 500 meters at the last two Olympics, was bested by Dutch skater Xandra Velzeboer.

"I'm very happy with this silver, it's like a gold for me," Fontana said. She had suffered a torn quadriceps last October.

Fontana said she drew inspiration from the victories earlier Thursday of fellow Italians Federica Brignone in the Super-G and Francesca Lollobrigida in the 5,000 meters speed skating.

"Federica moved me this morning, she was fantastic," Fontana said.

"I saw Lollobrigida right before coming here and she gave me incredible energy. The grit she showed in the final laps, what she did today, really, once again, hats off to her — so I had to keep up," she added.

At 35, Fontana’s Olympic career began in 2006 when Italy hosted the Games in Turin, where she won her first medal.

"I try not to see my age as a number that defines me," Fontana said, noting that her training is now carefully tailored to compete with younger rivals.

Earlier this week, Fontana won gold with her Italian teammates in the mixed relay and will have a chance to add another medal in the women’s relay next week. -Reporting by Francesca Landini; Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Ken Ferris/Reuters)