SHORT TRACK
Italia Team is beginning to take shape. Just over 50 days before the Opening Ceremony of the Milano Cortina Games, the 10 Azzurri (evenly split between men and women) who will take part in the Olympic short track competitions were officially announced, scheduled to take place in the Lombardy capital at the Ice Skating Arena.
In the men's sector, the choice fell on Andrea Cassinelli, Thomas Nadalini, Lorenzo Previtali, Pietro Sighel and Luca Spechenhauser. In the women's field, there was space for Arianna Fontana (photo ANSA), one of the four tricolour flag bearers together with cross-country skier Federico Pellegrino, skier Federica Brignone and curling Olympian Amos Mosaner, Chiara Betti, Elisa Confortola, Arianna Sighel and Martina Valcepina.
Italy, as the host country, is guaranteed a place in the three relays on the programme: men (5,000 metres), women (3,000 metres) and mixed (2,000 metres). Thanks to the results obtained in the four stages of the 2025 edition of the World Tour, it will also have the maximum quota of three skaters in the six individual competitions (three men's and as many women's), i.e. the 500 metres, the 1,000 metres and the 1,500 metres.
"We are looking forward to this Olympics with great confidence because we are convinced that we have a strong, united and motivated team with the right mix of youth and experience. As witnessed by the results on the World Tour, the level of the group is definitely high. We therefore had to make some very difficult choices. Over the past week, together with the entire coaching staff, we have thoroughly analysed all available data and videos, reviewing all the results of this as well as last season, in order to select what we consider to be the best team. Now all we have to do is to work with our eyes fixed on our big goal” commented Azzurro high performance director Kenan Gouadec.
The national team, which is currently gathering at the federal technical centre in Bormio, will enjoy a few days off over Christmas before returning to the ice on Saturday 27 December. They will then continue training until the days leading up to the Opening Ceremony of the Games, which is scheduled to take place on Friday 6 February at Milan’s San Siro Olympic Stadium, as well as in the other Olympic territories. In the meantime, participation in the European Championships is also planned, to be held in Tilburg, Netherlands, from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 January.
