Italy’s short track team secured gold in the mixed team relay at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday, marking a triumphant start to the short track speed skating competition. The victory, celebrated at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, represents a twelfth Olympic medal for Arianna Fontana, Italy’s most decorated Winter Olympian.
The Italian team, comprised of Fontana, Pietro Sighel, Thomas Nadalini, and Elisa Confortola in the final, completed the race in 2:37.482. Luca Spechenhauser and Chiara Betti also contributed to the team’s success, competing in the first and second rounds respectively. They finished ahead of Canada and Belgium, with the defending champions, China, finishing off the podium.
Fontana, participating in her sixth Winter Olympics, led the Italian team to victory. She first competed at the Winter Games in 2006, winning a bronze medal in the relay at the Turin Games. This latest gold medal brings her total Olympic medal count to 12, one shy of the Italian record held by fencer Edoardo Mangiarotti.
The Italian team demonstrated dominance throughout the competition, having previously secured a silver medal in the event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. In the semifinals, they eliminated both the Netherlands and South Korea, considered strong contenders. The team made two changes for the semifinal round, substituting Chiara Betti for Elisa Confortola and Thomas Nadalini for Luca Spechenhauser.
“This is our home. We’re here to protect it,” Fontana said, reflecting the team’s mindset during the race. “We tried to reveal it to the home crowd, ‘We’re here, we’re on a mission,’ and that’s what we delivered.”
The victory marks the second gold medal for Italy at the Milano Cortina Games, following Francesca Lollobrigida’s win in the women’s super-G on Saturday. Andrea Abodi, Italy’s Minister for Sport and Youth, celebrated the win on social media, calling it a result of “incredible teamwork.”
Andrea Gios, President of the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISG), described the team’s performance in the final as “almost embarrassing” in its ease, noting that Pietro Sighel even finished the race by skating backward due to the significant lead. He stated the win was the tenth medal for Italy at the Milano-Cortina Games.
The debut Olympic performance of Elisa Confortola, Thomas Nadalini, and Chiara Betti, all 23 years old, alongside Luca Spechenhauser, 25, contributed to the historic win.
