Speed Skating Discussion | Qualification to Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026

[Noorderling29 238]

[copravolley 657]

14 minutes ago, Noorderling29 said:

Groenewoud just missed the track record

Even in her best form, Lollobrigida unfortunately has no chance of winning medals in Cortina Wiklund, 3 Dutch, 2 Canadian... Even in the mass start it will be very difficult. These will be disastrous Games for us, considering what's happening in most disciplines. But what can you expect when you only count on one girl over 30 returning from maternity break? She had her prime in 2022, so where are her younger colleagues? Because the Netherlands is always looking for someone new...

[copravolley 657]

To be Italian fan in winter sports is a nightmare... In every discipline, you encounter a force that will beat your ass If not Switzerland, then Austria in alpine skiing, the Netherlands in speed skating, Germany in luge and bobsleigh and Norway and France in biathlon, etc. And so it has been for 30 years. 

[heywoodu 16,475]

Whoops

 

[heywoodu 16,475]

17 minutes ago, copravolley said:

Even in her best form, Lollobrigida unfortunately has no chance of winning medals in Cortina  

Yeah, you've decided to keep going on this ultrapessimist streak? Alrighty. I honestly don't think any Italian skater can even get into the top-6 in any event at all, it's a miracle they qualified  

[Noorderling29 238]

[Noorderling29 238]

[Noorderling29 238]

Higher level today than yesterday, and unlike yesterday, no surprises in both top 3

[copravolley 657]

17 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

Yeah, you've decided to keep going on this ultrapessimist streak? Alrighty. I honestly don't think any Italian skater can even get into the top-6 in any event at all, it's a miracle they qualified  

Ghiotto might win bronze, but so what? He already had bronze in 2022. It's just unlucky that Jilek jumped out a year earlier with such form. We don't have the kind of phenomenon, even like the Czech Republic, to dominate a sport. The only hope is biathlon and someone like Giacomel, but I'm afraid Norway and France will kick our asses and maybe leave us with some bronze medals. It's just that they have teams, while we have two or three individuals, especially at the end of their careers, like Wierer.

Edited December 27, 2025 by copravolley

[copravolley 657]

The Netherlands is doing well, they have two strong disciplines (speed skating and short track), where they will win 6-7 gold medals and that's okay. There won't always be domination like in Sochi, but you will never end up with 0-1 gold like we did in 2010 and 2014.