Italy secured its fourth short track podium of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. On the ice of the Ice Skating Arena, Pietro Sighel, Thomas Nadalini, Luca Spechenhauser and Andrea Cassinelli claimed bronze in the men’s 5,000m relay, matching the result achieved four years ago at Beijing 2022. It is another celebration for Italian short track following gold in the mixed relay — with Sighel, Nadalini and Spechenhauser standing on the top step of the podium alongside Arianna Fontana, Chiara Betti and Elisa Confortola — and the silver medals won by Fontana in the 500m and by the women’s 3,000m relay team.

Italy – who qualified for the final thanks to a second-place finish in Monday’s semi-final behind Canada – made a measured start, initially sitting towards the back of the field, though briefly moving into the lead between laps 20 and 21. In the closing sprint the Azzurri successfully defended third place from a late Canadian charge (fourth). Gold went to the Netherlands, ahead of South Korea (silver), who, like Italy, replicated their placing from Beijing 2022. In China, alongside Sighel and Cassinelli, Yuri Confortola and Tommaso Dotti had stood on the third step of the podium. Four years on, another medal arrives for Italy’s men’s short track team, delivering the nation’s 27th medal (nine gold, five silver and 13 bronze) at Milano Cortina 2026. (agc)