Italy has sent athletes to most of the modern Olympic Games held since 1896, outside of not having officially participated (as a national delegation) in the 1904 Summer Olympics. The Italian National Olympic Committee was created in 1914 and recognised in 1915. As of 2024, Italy is the most successful nation at fencing in Olympic history.
Italy has taken part in all the Winter Olympic Games, winning 171 medals, and has won 618 medals at the Summer Olympic Games.
Italy's total of 281 gold medals makes it the seventh most successful country in Olympic history, after the United States, the Soviet Union, China, Germany, Great Britain, and France. Italy has also the sixth highest medal total of all time with 829. Italy has the third longest medaling streak after Sweden and Finland. It has medaled in 40 straight Olympic Games, starting with the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Italy has hosted a Summer Olympics edition (in 1960) and three Winter Olympics (in 1956, 2006 and 2026).
Italy has hosted the Games on four occasions.
According to the official count of the International Olympic Committee, Italy has won 618 medals at Summer Olympics.
In the Summer Olympic Games, Italy has finished 2nd in 1932, 3rd in 1960, 4th in 1936, and 5th in 1924, 1928, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980 and 1984. In the Winter Olympic Games, Italy has finished 4th in 1968 and 1994, and 6th in 1952 and 1992.
Italy ranks 1st all-time in fencing, 2nd in cycling, 3rd in luge, 4th in boxing and shooting, 5th in alpine skiing, and 6th in bobsled, cross-country skiing and short track speed skating.
<small>Notes: Names in bold indicate that they are still active.</small>
The Italian athlete who won the most medals in the history of the Olympic Games, is the short track speed skater Arianna Fontana.
In this table (sorted by individual totals gold medals), the men who have won gold individual medals at the Olympics (but also at the World Championships).
<small>Notes: For cycling, only professional events were considered for the World Championships.</small>
In this table, the women who have won gold medals at the Olympics and also at the World Championships. Updated to 23 February 2026.
Italy first competed in swimming at the 1900 Games, with two swimmers in three events winning no medals.
Italy first competed in athletics in 1900. After 121 years from first participation, Marcell Jacobs became the first Italian athlete to win a gold medal in Men's 100 metres at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics on 1 August 2021, with a time of 9"80. In that Olympics, Italy had its best performance in athletics, winning five gold medals.
Italy first competed in cycling at the 1900 Games, with Enrico Brusoni winning a gold medal in the points race that year. Italy has the second-most gold medals (behind France) and third-most total medals (behind France and Great Britain) in the sport (as of the 2016 Games).
Italy competed in equestrian at the first Games in which the sport was held, in Paris 1900. Six riders competed, including Italy's first female Olympian (Elvira Guerra). Gian Giorgio Trissino won a gold medal in the high jump and a silver in the long jump.
Overall, Italy has won the eighth-most gold medals and eighth-most total medals in the sport.
Italy first competed in fencing at the second edition of the Games in 1900. Italy has won more gold medals (49) and total medals (125) in the sport than any other nation. The nation's first medals were in its first appearance, as Italy's men's master sabreurs took gold and silver in that one-time-only event in 1900. Italy won six consecutive gold medals in the men's individual épée from 1932 to 1960 (including medal sweeps in 1936 and 1956), with a 7th in 2008; no other nation has more than 5 total gold medals (France) in the event.
Italy's first gymnastics appearance was when the nation sent one gymnast to the second Games in 1900; Camillo Pavanello finished 28th in the men's all-around, the only event held that Games.
Italy's presence at the first Olympics in 1896 consisted of a single shooter, Giuseppe Rivabella, who entered one event and whose score and rank are unknown. The sport has remained a relatively strong one for Italy, which (after the 2016 Games) ranks fourth on the list of most gold medals in shooting with 16.
Italy competed in tennis in 1920 and 1924, after which tennis was dropped from the Summer Olympics due to rule disputes. The sport returned in 1988, when Italy resumed sending tennis players to compete. Prior to 2024, Uberto De Morpurgo was the only Italian tennis player to win a medal at the Olympics. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Lorenzo Musetti became the first player in one hundred years to win a medal for Italy.