SHORT TRACK
Olympic Lookback: Sighel skates backwards over line to clinch Short Track Mixed Relay gold for Italy
23 Jul 2026
The Short Track competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games opened with one of its most memorable moments as Italy claimed Mixed Relay gold in front of a roaring home crowd.
Members of Team Italy celebrate after winning gold in the Short Track Speed Skating Mixed Team Relay finals during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy © Getty Images
Italy’s Short Track team targets Mixed Relay gold with Arianna Fontana leading the way
Italy’s team were a superb blend of youthful energy and legendary experience. Arianna Fontana brought the wisdom. She entered the Olympic Games as Italy’s most-decorated Winter Olympian, and, with her eyes on the prize, ready to strengthen her iconic status.
Pietro Sighel also brought big-stage excellence to the rink, having won key ISU Short Track World Championship and European Championship titles over recent years.
Chiara Betti, Elisa Confortola, Luca Spechenhauser and Thomas Nadalini, meanwhile, were brimming with potential – the next generation of Italian greats. They spent all season working tirelessly on their relay strategy and changeovers.
The Mixed Relay – featuring two men and two women over 2000m – was the first Short Track event of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games and, prior to competition, the Azzurri were highly focused.
“In Italy people are excited for the Olympics,” Betti said. “Not so many people know Short Track in Italy, so we hope to show them what it is about. We will convince them. Maybe people will know who we are after the Olympics. It is a dream. We want to start well with the relay.”
Pietro Sighel and Thomas Nadalini skate in the short track speed skating mixed team relay final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy. © Getty Images
Italy’s Short Track team targets Mixed Relay gold with Arianna Fontana leading the way
All six Italian racers were involved on their route to gold – starting with the quarterfinals, in which Italy eased through in second place behind the Netherlands.
Many experts saw the Dutch as favorites for this title. With the Van ’t Wout brothers (Jens and Melle) and the Velzeboer (Xandra and Michelle) sisters on fine form, alongside Teun Boer and Selma Poutsma, they were (and remain) the world record holders.
But they finished third in the crucial semifinal after a fall, with Italy and China advancing to the A final. The Netherlands broke the Olympic record in the B final – but that was no compensation for missing out on the fight for the podium.
Canada ruthlessly bossed their semifinal, meanwhile, while underdogs Belgium – powered by siblings Hanne and Stijn Desmet – crept into the final in second place, eliminating the much-fancied Republic of Korea and USA.
Gold medalists Elisa Confortola, Arianna Fontana, Thomas Nadalini and Pietro Sighel of Team Italy at the medal ceremony for the Short Track Speed Skating Mixed Team Relay during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy. © Getty Images
Sighel and Italy ignite Milano Cortina 2026 with Short Track Mixed Relay gold
The A final lineup was confirmed: Italy, Canada, China and Belgium. The Milano Ice Skating Arena was packed with rowdy home fans hungry for gold. Could their team deliver?
Italy lined up with the tactically astute Fontana, speedy Confortola, powerhouse Nadalini – and the wily Sieghel on the anchor leg. Canada featured both ISU Crystal Globe winners on their team: the men’s champion William Dandjinou, and women’s No.1, Courtney Sarault. Their legend, Kim Boutin, and rapid Olympic newcomer Felix Roussel, completed a perfectly balanced team.
The race was very tight initially, with China leading early, hunted by the hosts, as all four teams raced close together. Italy and China struck ahead mid-race, and the home nation took the lead with six laps to go. Confortola and Nadalini ramped up the lead brilliantly.
Canada moved up with two laps remaining, and Dandjinou attempted to close the gap to Sighel. But the hard work had already been done. A complete team effort had given Italy a gap large enough for Sighel to realize he had the time and space for some showmanship.
Deploying skills worthy of a figure skater, he swivelled backwards and gave a salute, then held his hand to his ear to milk the applause of the delighted crowd.
Canada came in second, with Belgium delighted to scoop the bronze.
Pietro Sighel of Team Italy crosses the finish line to win gold in the Short Track Speed Skating Mixed Team Relay finals during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy. © Getty Images
Italy deliver the ‘perfect start’ to their Olympic Winter Games campaign
There were happy faces all round following the race. Hanne Desmet – who had made history at Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games by winning her country’s first Short Track medal – now added another, alongside her brother Stijn.
Dandjinou and Sarault had also picked up their first ever Olympic medals. But it was the Italians who were in dreamland.
Betti, Confortola, Spechenhauser and Nadalini had won their first Olympic titles. Sighel had the headlines. Fontana secured an amazing 12th Olympic medal, and third gold, to add to her collection.
“Today was a perfect way to start these Olympic Games at home with our families and friends in the stands, cheering for us,” Fontana said. “We started calm and collected and we believed in ourselves.
“To win a medal in my sixth Olympic Games is a bit unreal. At my first Olympic Games, in 2006, I never thought I was going to be here at the highest level. To be here and bring home another gold medal means a lot.”
Sighel was the calmest man in the building. “We won because we were chill, we took our opportunity,” he said.
Did he plan the celebration? “A little bit, a long time ago – today was the right moment to show it. I hope it was cool for the home crowd.”
It certainly was. The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games had got off to the most exciting start possible.
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