Wonder Woman of the Week: Valentina Vezzali

Sword-fighting politicians may seem like an archetype of Renaissance Europe, but this week’s spotlight is a contemporary politician and Olympic fencer who proves the pen and the sword can be equally mighty. At her height of athletics, this woman was considered the greatest female fencer of all time and continues her legacy of greatness in her post-athletic career in Italian politics. She’s a master of both the piste and the capitol and is an inspiration to young women in both sports and politics. The Wonder Woman of the Week is Valentina Vezzali.

Olympic fencer Valentina Vezzali was nicknamed “The Cobra” in her native Italy for her dangerous speed and accuracy in the sport; but while she was a master at the Olympic Games, Vezzali was also deployed her talents on the streets of Italy as a policewoman. Before her final Olympic Games in 2012, Vezzali had already become the first woman in the sport to win back to back to back gold medals in three straight Olympics- making her the best female foil fencer in the history of the sport and possibly the greatest female fencer. [1]

By the time of Valentina Vezzali’ retirement from the sport in 2016, she had dominated the fencing world since her debut at the time of the Sydney Olympics Games. She is credited with eight Fencing World Cup victories, eight Grand Prix victories, five European Champiuoships, and three World Championships. In her entire career, Vezzaliwas defeated six total times, but was never defeated by the same fencer more than once. [2}

Valentina Vezzali currently holds a record shared by only three other athletes in the history of the Summer Olympics (including men) for earning five separate Olympic medals in the same event. After accomplishing the everything necessary for becoming the greatest fencer of all time- as she is the only fencer male or female to hold her five-medal record- Vezzali’s fencing career slowly faded into one of politics. In 2013, Vezzali traded in her policewoman’s badge for a seat in the Italian Champer of Deputies as part of the Scelta Civica party. By the time she retired fully from the sport, she was the most successful athlete in the history of Italy for remaining at the number one position in her sport for eleven consecutive years and the top fencer of all time for the same feat. [3]

When Valentina Vezzali traded in her fencing swords for her political pens, she found the political world vastly inferior to the athletic one. She stated that not only Italian politics- but world politics in general- could benefit greatly with the attitude of athletes; hinting at the difference between sportsmanlike conduct and political behavior. Vezzali also believed it would be important for people with a passion for accomplishing goals and following through on the collective goals of the people would benefit the country and the world greatly. [4]

People are often shy to admit women can be equal to men and even more shy about admitted when they are better- but the greatest fencer of all time by statistical analysis is without contest Valentina Vezzali. She remained the top fencer in her weapon for eleven consecutive years- the only athlete to do so in the sport and the only athlete in her home country to do so in any sport. She dominated the Olympic podium, almost never lost in competition, won dozens of international trophies, and as an athlete alone became an inspiration for women in sports all over the world. On top of all of that, Vezzali led a career as a corruption-less policewoman upholding the laws of her home country of Italy and retiring from both sports and the police force to take up a career in politics where she could introduce the morals of athleticism to the political sphere.

“Valentina Vezzali.” Olympic.org. The International Olympic Committee; nd. Web. 7 December 2016.

“Valentina Vezzali.” Eurofencing.info. European Fencing Confederation; nd. Web. 7 December 2016.

Nayar, Namita. “An Interview with Maria Valentina Vezzali : Six times Olympic gold medalist in fencing.” Women’s Fitness. Women’s Health Magazine; 18 February 2014. Web. 7 December 2016.

Knight, Matthew and Hussain, Leila. “Valentina Vezzali: Olympic fencer turned political jouster.” CNN Sports. CNN; 22 April 2015. Web. 7 December.