For more information about Short Track in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, please check here

It is time: Short Track is a sport that comes properly into the international spotlight once every four years. 

Its athletes know that the Olympic Winter Games are their chance to become household names in their homelands, and get their hands on the most coveted prize in world sport – an Olympic medal.

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 have been the primary focus of our racers for so long – and now they are here. The excitement levels couldn’t be higher.

Short Track promises lots of thrills and excitement at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 © ISU

At the magnificent Milano Ice Skating Arena, with sold-out crowds of 11,500, racers will go for individual medals in the 500m, 1000m and 1500m, while the 2000m mixed relay, 3000m women’s relay and 5000m men’s relay will guarantee drama.

Short Track has produced some of the Olympic Winter Games’ most memorable moments over the last 34 years, and there is no doubt that thrills, unpredictability and incredible physical and mental strength will be on display this time around.

There are numerous strong contenders. Perhaps the biggest question overall is whether Canada can translate their recent supremacy at ISU Short Track World Tour level into Olympic glory – or whether traditional powerhouse Republic of Korea will hold firm.

Spearheaded by William Dandjinou (CAN), main picture, Courtney Sarault (CAN) and Steven Dubois (CAN), the Canadians have been magnificent over the last few seasons. But the likes of veteran legend Choi Min Jeong (KOR), and talented Olympic debutants Kim Gilli (KOR) and Rim Jongun (KOR) will defend Korean pride.

Add in a flourishing Netherlands and USA teams, a talented Italy squad led by their nation’s greatest winter Olympian, Arianna Fontana, and the return of Suzanne Schulting (NED), and there are narratives everywhere you look. 

It all starts on Tuesday, 10 February.

Women: Young guns seek to upset champions 

Beijing 2022 was notable for a unique scenario: all three individual champions from PyeongChang 2018 retained their titles. Fontana won the 500m again, Schulting kept her grip on 1000m gold, and Choi re-captured the 1500m. 

All three of these extraordinary women return to the Games, under very different circumstances. 

Fontana first: she is one of the faces of Milano Cortina 2026 and will adorn posters across the country. The double champion is entering her sixth Games at 35 – she made her debut on home ice in Torino aged 15 – and aims to make an historic end to a unique career.

It hasn’t been plain sailing. Fontana attempted to qualify for both Speed Skating and Short Track, and ultimately didn’t make it onto the longer oval. Now focused on Short Track, she faces a stronger field than ever. But she’s always been an athlete for the big occasion.

Schulting’s circumstances are also unusual. Having ruled Short Track at the start of the decade, she spent a couple of years focused on Speed Skating, which she will also race in Milano. But will a couple of terms away leave her rusty? 

Choi is perhaps the best bet to pull off three-golds-in-a-row. The 27-year-old has been approaching top form again, and knows how to peak for the Olympics. Win here and Korean sporting immortality awaits. 

Choi Min Jeong (left) and Suzanne Schulting will be competing for medals in Milan © ISU

A gallery of rivals looking for their debut Olympic gold medal awaits, however. 

Sarault leads the way. The Canadian completed an impressive return to form in 2025/26, sealing the ISU Crystal Globe in style. The powerful racer is now adept over three distances and is mentally robust after overcoming a series of health difficulties.

Corinne Stoddard and Kristen Santos-Griswold of the USA will figure. Santos-Griswold took the globe in 2024/25, and can win all three individual races. She started this season slowly due to injury, but has looked sharp again. Desperate to banish the disappointment of Beijing 2022, Santos-Griswold is more driven than ever. 

Stoddard has been metronomically consistent over the past two seasons – not claiming many first places, but getting onto podiums at almost every event. It would be a surprise for her not to make at least one in Milano.

Xandra Velzeboer (NED) is the red-hot favourite for the 500m, an event she has rarely lost this term. Get to the first corner in front, and she is almost unstoppable. The Dutch rocket has also become more versatile since Beijing 2022, claiming major titles in both the 1000m and 1500m.

Kim Gilli is a prodigy: still just 21, she has already claimed an ISU Crystal Globe title (in 2023/24). Calm, fearless and technically impeccable, she looks like the heir to her great friend and teammate, Choi. 

Kim Gilli (left) and Hanne Desmet are strong medal contenders © ISU

Hanne Desmet (BEL) isn’t done making history for Belgium, either. After winning the country’s first ever individual Olympic Short Track medal (a bronze in the 1000m) in Beijing, she has a good shot of going even better this time. Desmet has improved technically and tactically, and is a master of the late pass in longer races.

The home crowd will also be excited by the chances of Elisa Confortola, Gloria Ioriatti and Chiara Betti. The Italian trio have all progressed well over recent seasons and are driven by the chance to impress at a home Games.

Men: Dandjinou guns for superstardom, but Dubois and van ‘t Wout can spoil the party 

Unlike the wildly unpredictable women’s sport, the men’s field contains a strong frontrunner.

William Dandjinou has been dominant over the last two terms, winning the ISU Crystal Globe in both 2024/25 and 2025/26. Physically powerful, tactically astute and full of self-belief, he has also grabbed two individual World Championship titles (1000m in 2024, 1500m in 2025). 

Dandjinou can triumph over all distances, as well as being a key part of the Mixed Relay and Men’s Relay outfit. Five gold medals is an outlandish ambition in a game as fate-dependent as Short Track, but the target has been stated.

Highly charismatic – Dandjinou is famed for his ‘eagle’ celebration and has his own range of merchandise – this is an athlete who can transcend the sport and become a breakout star of these Olympics. 

William Dandjinou is known for his eagle celebration - will he be flying in Milan? © ISU

It won’t be straightforward. For one, his close friend and teammate, Dubois, regularly beats him. The pocket rocket is the current reigning 500m and 1000m world champion, and could take the limelight this time around. His form has been patchy this season, but Dubois thrives on the big occasion. 

Jens van ‘t Wout (NED) is also an athlete with a proven record of beating Dandjinou in A finals. The aggressive, all-action Dutchman finished second in the overall standings two seasons ago. This term was less successful, due to some ill health and ill fortune, but van ‘t Wout feels like he is going to the Games fitter than ever. Some thrilling tussles away.

Pietro Sighel (ITA) carries home hopes on his shoulders: he has been highly consistent for the last few seasons, is currently ranked no.2 overall, and tends to do well at the bigger events. 

Jens van t' Wout (left) and Pietro Sighel are expected to battle for medals in Milan © ISU

Rim Jongun of Korea is a true wildcard. Still just 17 and in high school, his debut season on the senior tour was extraordinary, as he scooped two gold medals – seemingly emerging as a fully-formed champion from the junior ranks. 

Also catching the eye of late have been Felix Roussel (CAN), Thomas Nadalini (ITA) and Miyata Shogo (JPN). They’ve posted impressive results and look to be hitting form at the right time. 

The great mystery about all of the above athletes: How will they react to the pressure cauldron of an Olympics? Unlike the women’s field, which is stacked with former champions, only Dubois has an Olympic title from this list (5000m relay at Beijing 2022). 

Most, including Dandjinou, are making their debuts – and won’t know how their nerves will react to this setting. 

Could this make a difference for two of the experienced ‘outsiders’ coming into these Olympics? Hwang Dae Heon is defending the 1500m gold medal, but was not even in the Korea team two seasons ago, and hasn’t hit his best metrics this year. 

Will Hwang Dae Heon rediscover his best form?© ISU

Liu Shaoang was 500m champion in Beijing 2022, when he skated for Hungary. Now competing for China, he also hasn’t reached his best form either – but has ample experience that can help him get on a podium again.

Or might a surprise contender emerge? It’s happened before: Roberts Kruzbergs of Latvia, Michal Niewinski of Poland, Sun Long of China and many more will hope that this time around, it could be them.