Short track-Italy's Fontana seeks fan support, enjoys home comfort

MILAN, Feb 3 : Italy's short track skating champion Arianna Fontana is counting on the support of domestic fans and the comfort of home food to power her push for victory in her sixth Olympic Winter Games.

Italy's most decorated winter Olympian, who returns to race at Games in Italy 20 years after her debut in the same competition in Turin, trained on Tuesday with the Italian team at Milan's ice skating arena.

"For sure the home crowd's support makes a difference. It will definitely give a big push. So, in short, the fans have to help you, they have to make themselves heard," Fontana told Reuters at the end of the training session.

The athlete, who is strongly attached to her hometown Berbenno di Valtellina, usually brings with her as a comfort food Valtellina's air-dried beef fillet bresaola.

This time, however, she did not need it in her baggage for the Milano Cortina Games.

"Luckily bresaola was already at the Olympic village, I didn't have to bring it from home."

Fontana's husband and coach Anthony Lobello and her family will be at her side when short track races start on February 10. 

So far she has won 11 Olympic medals, mostly over the shorter distance of 500 metres.

She is the most experienced athlete in an Italian team made up of 10 people, half of whom are first-time Olympians.