Andrea Borella was born on June 23, 1961, in Mestre, in the Venice area of northeastern Italy. He began fencing in 1967 and developed through the Mestre fencing tradition associated with maestro Livio Di Rosa and the Circolo Scherma Mestre. The city's long association with fencing provided the setting for his early progression from youth competition to the Italian national team.
Borella studied law and political science in Rome, but interrupted his university education as his international fencing career developed. His studies placed him in the Italian tradition of combining legal and civic education with professional or public careers, while his sporting commitments increasingly required full-time preparation and travel.
Borella established himself as a foil specialist in the Italian competitive system during the 1970s. At sixteen, he was selected for the 1977 World Championships in Buenos Aires, where he won a team silver medal. His early international results included further World Championship team medals and success at the 1979 Junior World Championships.
He became Olympic champion in team foil at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. He also competed at the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Olympics, reaching fifth place in the individual foil event at both Los Angeles and Barcelona. His international career included the 1981 and 1983 European titles, three World Cup victories, and the 1986 Italian individual championship.
At the World Championships, Borella won the individual foil title in 1986 and team gold medals in 1985, 1986, 1990, and 1994. He also earned World Championship silver and bronze medals in individual and team events. His other major results included team gold at the 1981 and 1983 Universiades and an individual bronze medal at the 1991 Mediterranean Games.
After ending his competitive career in the late 1990s, Borella qualified as a fencing master at the Academy of Naples in 1999. He subsequently taught fencing in Padua and served as a technical director or coach connected with the Dutch national fencing program. His later work continued the Italian maestro tradition, in which former elite competitors transmit technical and tactical knowledge through club and national-team coaching.
Won the gold medal in men's team foil for Italy at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Won the individual men's foil title at the 1986 World Fencing Championships.
Won four World Championship team foil titles, in 1985, 1986, 1990, and 1994.
Won European foil titles in 1981 and 1983.
Won three World Cup foil events and the Italian individual foil championship in 1986.
Won team foil gold medals at the 1981 and 1983 Summer Universiades.
Won a bronze medal in individual foil at the 1991 Mediterranean Games.
Physical Characteristics: He was listed at 191 centimetres in Olympic biographical records.
Borella is married to Francesca Bortolozzi-Borella, an Italian foil fencer who won Olympic team foil gold at Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996. His cousin Fabio Dal Zotto won Olympic foil gold for Italy at Montreal in 1976.
