Short track speed skating first appeared as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Calgary Games and made its official Olympic debut at Albertville 1992. With the addition of the mixed team relay at Beijing 2022, the sport has now cemented its modern Olympic format - comprising nine events (four men’s, four women’s, and one mixed) - all of which will take place at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan during Milano Cortina 2026.
The undisputed Italian legend of the sport is Arianna Fontana, whose career spans five Olympic Games and a remarkable 11 medals - seven in individual events and four in relays. With two golds, four silvers, and five bronzes, her first dating back to a relay bronze at Turin 2006, Fontana has become Italy’s most decorated Winter Olympian of all time, surpassing cross-country great Stefania Belmondo (10 medals) and trailing only fencing icon Edoardo Mangiarotti (13) across both Winter and Summer Games.