Enrico Fabris

1.1. Early life and education

Enrico Fabris was born on 5 October 1981, in Asiago, located in the Province of Vicenza, Italy. His journey into speed skating began at a very young age, at six years old, when he joined the Roana Ice Sports Association. He remained affiliated with this association for 16 years, developing his skills and passion for the sport. Alongside his rigorous training and competitive schedule, Fabris also pursued higher education, studying environmental science at the University of Padua.

1.2. Early career

Fabris transitioned into professional sports by joining the Fiamme Oro club. This club is notable for being composed of local police officers, providing a unique environment for athletes. He was coached by Maurizio Marchetto. Fabris stands at 6.2 ft ^{(1.88 m)} tall and weighs 176 lb ^{(80 kg)}. His early competitive activities within this framework helped him build the foundational experience and discipline necessary for his later international successes.

2.1. Olympic Games

Fabris achieved historic success at the 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin, Italy, his home country. He became the first Italian speed skater to win an Olympic medal, securing a bronze in the men's 5000-meter event. Five days later, he was part of the winning team in the team pursuit event, earning Italy's first Olympic speed skating gold medal. He continued his remarkable performance by winning his third medal, a gold, in the 1500-meter race with a time of 1 minute, 45.97 seconds. In this race, he notably defeated American favorites Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick, becoming the first non-American to win an individual men's event among the first four races of the Turin Winter Games. His achievement of winning three medals at a single Winter Olympics made him only the second Italian athlete to do so.

2.2. World Championships

Fabris consistently performed at a high level in the World Championships, earning multiple medals across different disciplines.

In the World Single Distances Championships, he secured five silver medals:

• In 2005, he won a silver medal in the team pursuit at Inzell, Germany.
• In 2007, he earned a silver medal in the 5000 meters at Salt Lake City, United States.
• In 2008, he had a particularly strong showing at Nagano, Japan, where he won three silver medals in the 5000 meters, 10000 meters, and team pursuit.

At the World Allround Championships, Fabris also achieved significant podium finishes:

• He won silver medals in the Allround competition in 2006 at Calgary, Canada, and in 2007 at Heerenveen, Netherlands.
• In 2009, he added a bronze medal in the Allround competition at Hamar, Norway.

2.3. European Championships

Fabris's success extended to the European Championships, where he made history for Italian speed skating. In 2006, he became the first Italian to win the European Allround Champion title at Hamar, Norway. He continued his strong performance in subsequent European Championships, earning additional medals:

• A silver medal in the Allround competition in 2007 at Collalbo, Italy.
• A bronze medal in the Allround competition in 2008 at Kolomna, Russia.
• Another silver medal in the Allround competition in 2010 at Hamar, Norway.

2.4. Speed Skating World Cup

Throughout his career, Enrico Fabris demonstrated his prowess in the Speed Skating World Cup series, securing nine race victories across various distances. His World Cup wins include five victories in the 1500 meters, two in the 5000 meters, one in the 10000 meters, and one in the team pursuit.

3.1. Personal records

The following table details Enrico Fabris's personal best times for each speed skating distance, along with the dates and locations where these achievements occurred:

As of 2019, Fabris held the 12th position in the Adelskalender, with a total of 146.619 points.

3.2. World records

Enrico Fabris held a world record in the 5000 meters during his career.

This world record was set in Salt Lake City on November 10, 2007. However, it was subsequently broken just one week later by Sven Kramer, who skated an even faster time in Calgary.