Favaretto before the foil there is the head

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Behind every attack, every thrust, behind that mask that hides sweat but also tension, there are thoughts, emotions, moments that lead to victory. Martina Favaretto often says: "Eighty percent of cases are a mental issue." Over the years, the athlete, who began watching Matteo Tagliariol on TV at Beijing 2008 and who wears a necklace with a pendant in the shape of a foil (her weapon), a gift from her master Mauro Numa, has worked on awareness, on managing that damned anxiety that often immobilizes. “Since I was little, I've had a sports psychologist who helped me manage competition, motivation, and defeats. I learned from the Olympics: chasing results was almost an obsession... I only had value as a person if I placed. The important thing is to aim high and never give up. If you don't reach a goal, appreciate the good things you've done and commit. You have to give yourself time and not want everything right away, a mistake I often tend to make. In recent years, compared to when I was younger, I've matured, grown, and I see the difference; it helps in difficult moments. Before, when I was an Olympic champion like Lee Kiefer, I felt inferior, I couldn't give it my all. Now it's different, I try to fight on equal terms. I still have a lot to do in managing anxiety and awareness .”

She's trying to understand her full potential, which just needs to be unleashed, as she did last season in the World Cup. "It was my best year so far, with four wins and two bronze medals." Now, all eyes are on the World Championships in Tbilisi (in Georgia from July 22nd to 30th). The Venetian athlete arrives at the event with a bit less confidence, having been forced to miss the 2025 European Championships in Genoa due to injury . "I'm fine now, I've resumed training at full speed, and I'm preparing to get back into shape for the World Championships . It was a difficult period because I faced an unexpected situation: I was calm and everything was going so well that I started shooting again, getting back on the runway. After the MRI scan, the medical staff advised me not to compete in view of Tbilisi. It was a forced break, a bit of a disappointment, but I've gotten back to work."

Favaretto will compete on July 24th for the individual event and on the 27th for the team event . At 23, she's the youngest on the team, "something that always accompanies me." That's because it's the same at home: she has an older brother, her own athletic trainer, and two older sisters. On the national team, she's the newest addition, having made her way despite shyness and a few insecurities. She's done so by carrying her last name and the adjective "predestined" on her back. "At home, I'm a bit spoiled. In sport, however, the youngest has to stand out, and my teammates have helped me. You often have to grit your teeth, try to reach the level of the great champions, and manage to maintain that condition and achieve results. Being the "predestined" one puts pressure on me, which I also put on myself. At the same time, it has helped them believe in me: I've received the trust of Italian athletes like Valentina Vezzali and great fencing masters, and this has given me strength." After all, those champions who once seemed a step above now have to be careful. This year, Favaretto rose to number one in the rankings (now number 3), ahead of American Lee Kiefer, a tough nut to crack for the entire national team in recent years. "It was something I aspired to, and it's the result of what I've done over the years, of consistency: it pays off. Due to points, I've fallen back to second place: we're fighting for first place at the World Championships, I'd like to finish as number one." A possible redemption after the team silver medal at Paris 2024 and the missed individual podium.

“It was a tremendous feeling. It had been my dream since I was a child. One thing I fondly remember is the opening ceremony: I felt part of a group. I also experienced the negative side: I was aiming for an individual medal and it didn't come. I didn't immediately appreciate sixth place; disappointment prevailed first, even for the team silver. I realized that nothing can be taken for granted; it will serve as a lesson for the future.” A future, albeit a distant one, which she is working towards by studying law and occasionally allowing herself a bit of relaxation with makeup: “I've never taken courses, but I have a room full of makeup and I keep buying it; it relaxes me. As for studies, I've always liked this field; I'm thinking about a career in the police or staying in the sports world. I took a sports law exam, which I enjoyed; maybe it would be nice to help the Fencing Federation too.”

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