Francesca Porcellato

Francesca Porcellato

Francesca Porcellato with former italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Personal information
Born	(1970-09-05) September 5, 1970 (age 46) Castelfranco Veneto, Italy
Sport
Country	Italy
Sport	Athletics Cross-country skiing Cycling
Medal record Women's athletics Paralympic Games 1988 Seoul 100 m 1988 Seoul 4x100 m 1988 Seoul 200 m 2004 Athens 100 m 2004 Athens 800 m 1988 Seoul 4x200 m 1988 Seoul 4x400 m 1992 Barcelona 400 m 2000 Sydney 100 m Women's cross-country skiing Paralympic Games 2010 Vancouver 1 km Sprint Classic Women's road cycling Paralympic Games 2016 Rio Time trial H1-2-3 2016 Rio Road race H1-2-3-4 Road World Championships 2015 Nottwil Time Trial H3 2015 Nottwil Road race H3

Francesca Porcellato (born September 5, 1970 in Castelfranco Veneto) is an Italian disability sportsperson who has competed at international level in three different sports. Porcellato began her sporting career as a wheelchair racer competing in six Summer Paralympics before switching to Cross country skiing where she won gold at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in the 1 km sprint. In 2015, she became double UCI Para-cycling World champion in the H3 handcycling event in Nottwil, Switzerland.

She fell when she was 2 years old and broke her back. She discovered that she is paralyzed. In addition to participation in the Paralympics, Porcellato is one of two woman to have won four London Marathon wheelchair races, shared with America's Tatyana McFadden. She has competed in wheelchair racing at every Summer Paralympic Games from 1988 to 2008, and in 2006 participated in the Winter Paralympics in cross-country sit-skiing. She has won a total of two gold, three silver, and five bronze medals, all in athletics. She won the silver medal in the 800 metres T54 race at the 2009 Mediterranean Games.

Francesca has participated in ten editions of the Paralympic Games, seven summer and three winter. She was the flag bearer for Italy at Vancouver 2010.