SHORT TRACK
Velzeboer, Choi, Fontana gearing up for Women’s 1000m medal battle
15 Feb 2026
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New 500m Olympic Champion Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands is in action again in pursuit of a second medal at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 in the Women’s 1000m on Monday. Velzeboer hopes to catch up with teammate Jens van t’ Wout, who raced to his second gold on Saturday.
Day Four of the Olympic Short Track event at the Milano Ice Skating Arena also features the Men’s 5000m Relay semi-finals and the Men’s 500m heats. Competition kicks off at 11.00 am local time with the Women’s 1000m quarter-finals.
Velzeboer (NED) hungry for more gold but challengers are ready
- Xandra Velzeboer (NED), pictured above (left), has been in great form so far and is confident following her victory in the 500m.
- Reigning 1000m Olympic silver medalist Choi Minjeong (KOR) and bronze medalist Hanne Desmet (BEL) are back and are targeting a place on the podium.
- Italian Short Track legend Arianna Fontana, (pictured above, right) can count on her experience and the crowd support in pursuit of her 14th Olympic medal.
- Other top contenders are new 500m Olympic bronze medalist Courtney Sarault (CAN), as well as 500m finalist Kim Boutin (CAN).
- Fontana is up against Choi and Boutin in the first quarter-final.
Choi Minjeong (KOR) is targeting a medal in Milan on Monday © Getty Images
Eight Men’s relay teams racing for a spot in the final
- Defending Olympic Champions Canada and bronze medalists Italy will face each other in the first semi-final.
- The 2022 Olympic silver medalists Republic of Korea is up against the Netherlands in their second semi-final.
- The line-ups have not yet been announced, but two-time Olympic Champion Jens van ‘t Wout is expected to lead the Dutch squad.
Jens van ‘t Wout (NED) won gold in the 1500m on Saturday night © Getty Images
Two-time Olympic Champion van ‘T Wout headlines 500m heats
- The 500m heats feature all the prominent names:
- Newly minted two-time Olympic Champion Jens van t’ Wout (NED)
- The new 1000m Olympic silver medalist Sun Long (CHN) and bronze medalist Rim Jongun (KOR)
- Reigning 500m Olympic Champion Liu Shaoang (CHN)
- Multiple Olympic Champion and medalist Hwang Daeheon (KOR)
- Others to watch out for include 2022 Olympic 500m bronze medalist Steven Dubois (CAN), the 2026 Olympic bronze medalist in the 1500m Roberts Kruzbergs (LAT) and William Dandjinou (CAN).
Quick Facts
- Twenty Women representing 10 NOCs and one Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) compete in the 1000m quarter-finals. The two best athletes in each quarter-final (Q) and the two fastest 3rd placed athletes (q) qualify for the semi-finals.
- The Women’s 1000m world record is 1:25.958 and the Olympic record is 1:26.514 (Beijing 2022), both held by Suzanne Schulting (NED).
- Eight teams compete in the Men’s 5000m Relay. The 1st and 2nd teams in each semi-final qualify for Final A and the 3rd and 4th teams qualify for Final B.
- The world record in the Men’s 5000m Relay is 6:28.625 and the Olympic record is 6:31.971. Both are held by Hungary and are from 2018.
- Thirty-two Men representing 18 NOCs compete in the Men’s 500m heats.
*main picture credit: Getty Images
