To compete at the Olympic Games is the dream of each athlete. To compete at the Olympic Games in your home country, even in your home town, is an even bigger dream. And to be able to compete for a medal at the Olympic Games in your home city is as good as it gets. Italian Pair Skaters Sara Conti & Niccolo Macii are living this dream right now.

They already have made history more than once: Conti & Macii are the first Italian Pair Skaters to win the European title and the first to win a World medal, both in 2023. The two-time ISU World bronze medalists might very well become the first Italian Pair Skaters to earn an Olympic medal and do this at home. 

Sara Conti & Niccolo Macii (ITA) already have made history more than once Photo ©ISU

At the ISU Grand Prix Final last month in Nagoya, Conti & Macii claimed silver, their third medal in what was their fourth appearance at the event, confirming their consistent performances at the highest level. 

“This is a good rehearsal for the Olympic Games,” Macii said in Nagoya. “We are really happy to be on the podium with our friends. Since a lot of seasons, we are all together on the podium. We are always switching places, but it is always us. 

“I think for us it's very important because we understood how to manage the pressure, to skate for us, to show who we are and what we can do,” he continued. “I don't have expectations for the result or the points. We enjoyed skating together. We were really a team. It's a good starting point for the Olympic event.” 

The Five Rings project

When the Italians teamed up in 2019, all these achievements seemed incredibly far away, if not impossible. Conti was a singles skater, while Macii already had skated pairs and she wanted to try out with him. Their talent, dedication and hard work paid off and Conti & Macii quickly rose in the ranks. 

“From the start, I had the feeling that this is exactly right,” Conti said. “The two of us together on the ice, that’s our shared future.”

She was right.

Sara Conti & Niccolo Macii (ITA) and their coaches created a Whats App group named "The Five Rings project" Photo ©ISU

The skaters and their coaches created a Whats App group that they named “The Five Rings Project.”

“From the moment we decided to skate together, the Olympic Games in Milan were our big goal,” Conti pointed out. “From the start it was the motivation to take it really seriously and always keep in mind what our focus is.”

Now the Olympic Winter Games 2026 are coming closer and closer with each day.

“I was on the podium now and I was singing our national anthem and I was imagining to be on the podium of the Olympic Games with all the crowd singing the Italian anthem,” Macii said after the couple won the ISU Grand Prix NHK Trophy last November. 

“I was like okay it's going to be impossible, but it would be amazing to skate in front of our people, in our country because we are really proud to be Italian. We can't wait to be there and will be honored to skate in that competition,” he added.

Sara Conti & Niccolo Macii (ITA) have established themselves among the best teams in the World and are Olympic medal contenders Photo ©ISU

Conti & Macii have themselves established among the World’s best teams, winning medals in the ISU Grand Prix, the ISU Grand Prix Final, the European and World Championships. The last test before the Games awaits at the ISU European Championships in Sheffield, Great Britain, January 13-18, where the couple will meet strong rivals and aims for the top of the podium.

Approaching Olympic Games at home

Shortly after Europeans, they will be headed to Milan. Macii was born in the city and lives there while Conti was born in nearby Alzano Lombardo and trained for many years in the practice rink of the Olympic venue which is called the Milano Ice Skating Arena during the Games. Since teaming up, the three-time Italian Champions have been training in Bergamo, which is not far from Milan.

“It (the Olympic venue) is very close to our place,” Conti confirmed. “I skated there for a lot of years and it is a real big gift for us. It's just an incredible emotion. We want to be there as soon as possible.”

Conti & Macii were spectators in 2018 at the ISU World Championships in the same rink in Milan and Macii even was a volunteer. Excitement is building as the skaters are waiting to see how the venue in Assago will look like. “We want to know the color of the arena,” Conti said. “Pyeongchang was purple and Beijing was kind of blue.”

“We know this ice rink very well because we skated there so many years,” Macii shared. “It's going to be awesome because it's big but it's not that big. It's not huge so that you lose yourself. I think it's going to be a good venue for the Olympic Games.” 

Sara Conti & Niccolo Macii (ITA) can't wait to compete on home ice in Milan Photo ©ISU

Keeping the Olympic moments in the heart

The Italian Champions will make their Olympic debut in Milan. 

“It’s the first one, so we don't know anything,” Macii noted. “We don't expect anything. We know that our colleagues are really, really strong athletes. So we want to just enjoy and bring in our hearts, the best emotion of the Olympics at home. And then we will see the results.

“I hope it's going to be like the 2022-2023 year when we've just skated without expectations and we won a lot of medals. I hope we're going to enjoy what we do and skate well; and even if there is a mistake keep the Olympic moments in our heart,” he continued.

Conti is looking forward to forward to showing their Flamenco Short Program and their Free Skating to “Caruso” in front of a home audience.

“It's not of course the same competition but in the Lombardia Trophy at our place (in Bergamo) I really enjoy seeing all the people that I know cheering for us,” she commented. “I hope that we are more excited than nervous but we will see.”