MONTANO Aldo

Personal Information

Family Wife Olga, two children

Languages English, Italian

License number 18111978001

Club

Upcoming Events

Sport Specific Information

Why this sport? He initially took up foil but switched to sabre so he could follow in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather.

Handedness Right

General Interest

Nicknames Il Manzo [Beef]. (lavoropiu.it, 23 Jul 2014)

Hobbies Motorbikes, football. (gnewsonline.it, 11 May 2020; gazzetta.it, 06 May 2019)

Injuries He competed with an injured peroneal tendon in his left ankle at the 2011 World Championships in Catania, Italy. He was still able to win gold in individual sabre at the event. He had surgery on the injury in October 2011. (ESCRIME XXI, 16 Oct 2011)

He sustained a right hamstring injury at the 2006 World Championships in Turin, Italy. (ESCRIME XXI, 16 Oct 2011)

Sporting philosophy / motto "No pain, no glory." (lavoropiu.it, 23 Jul 2014)

Awards and honours He was named Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2004. (quirinale.it, 12 Apr 2011)

Famous relatives He is the third generation of his family to win a fencing medal for Italy at the Olympic Games. His grandfather Aldo won silver in sabre at the 1936 Games in Berlin. His father Mario Aldo was part of the Italian sabre team that claimed gold in Munich in 1972. He also won silver medals at the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games. His uncles Mario Tullio and Tommaso were on the same team as his father in 1976, while a third uncle Carlo won silver in team foil in 1976. (aldomontano.it, 2015; sports-reference.com, 25 Aug 2008)

Other information RETIREMENT
He retired from competitive fencing after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (ilsussidiario.net, 20 Sep 2021)

EARTHQUAKE EXPERIENCE
In August 2018 he and his wife Olga were on holiday in the Gili Islands, Indonesia, when a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the region and their hotel partially collapsed. "We had gone out for dinner outdoors when it struck. In just a moment we were on the floor. The water of the swimming pool was waving out. There was panic due to the tsunami warning. It was scary, we ended up on top of a hill with a little group of Italians. It was completely dark, with only the light from our mobile phones. We spent the night in fear and with the awareness of still being alive." (ilmessaggero.it, 07 Aug 2018; corrieredellosport.it, 06 Aug 2018)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
He has served as president of the International Fencing Federation [FIE] athletes' commission. (fie.org, 07 Oct 2017)

ALLERGY
He is allergic to casein, a protein found in milk, that prevents him eating any kind of cheese. In November 2015 he had to go to hospital after suffering a severe reaction while at a restaurant in Forli, Italy. In June 2016 he required medical treatment for the allergy after attending the celebrations to mark the 70th year of the Italian Republic at the Quirinal Palace in Rome. (today.it, 02 Jun 2016; liberoquotidiano.it, 16 Nov 2015)

BOOK
He co-wrote a book named 'Risorgere e vincere' [To rise again and win] alongside technical director Giovanni Sirovich and psychologist Giorgio Nardone. The book talks about his career up until the 2011 World Championships in Catania, Italy. (2fashionsisters.com, 06 Oct 2014; ponteallegrazie.it, 2012)