Years of conflict: Why things are coming to a head between Italy's Olympic champions

The Italian short track speed skaters won Olympic gold in the mixed relay. However, a long-standing conflict has been simmering within the team.

February 14, 2026

From: never

At 26, Pietro Sighel reached the pinnacle of his career. After winning silver (mixed) and bronze (relay) at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, four years later he, alongside Elisa Confortola, Arianna Fontana, and Thomas Nadalini, stormed to Olympic gold in the mixed relay – and in front of a home crowd in Milan, no less. Normally a moment to savor, but for the Italian national team, old wounds were reopened in the days that followed.

“Arianna? Who even knows her?” Sighel remarked to the Journal of Sport "She's been training abroad for eight years, that's her decision. Except for the two and a half minutes we spend together on the track, we're definitely not a team." That stung. But what exactly are these barbs aimed at the Italian Olympic icon?

A years-long conflict within Italy's team

Fontana has amassed 13 Olympic medals in her illustrious career so far. Thanks to gold (mixed) and silver (500m), she equaled Edoardo Mangiarotti's record and, alongside the former fencer, is now considered the most successful female Olympian in Italian history. However, the relationship between her and the federation has been strained for years.

Only one team on the ice: Italy's short track speed skaters. © APA/afp / JULIEN DE ROSA

The starting point for the initial discussions was her relationship with her coach and now husband, Anthony Lobello, with whom she currently lives in Florida. The Italian Ice Sports Federation (FISG) disapproved of the relationship, leading to a breakup after Fontana's first Olympic gold medal in Pyeongchang eight years ago. Due to the disagreements, the short track speed skater and Lobello moved to Hungary and trained there, isolated from the other Italian short track skaters.

"It ended as it should have ended – or rather, it should never have started in the first place." Peter Sighel

Furthermore, just a year later, another internal team dispute caused a major stir. Fontana accused her two teammates, Tommaso Dotti and Andrea Cassinelli, of deliberately bringing her down during a training session. A years-long legal battle ensued, and in 2024 the two men were acquitted. But the scars remained. "It ended as it should have ended. Or rather, it should never have started in the first place. The two young men were acquitted because they hadn't committed the act," commented Sighel.

Fontana cannot be provoked.

Normally, an athlete of Fontana's caliber would be an invaluable asset to the team, especially for the younger skaters, who could make great strides alongside her. However, due to the aforementioned disputes, such a process fell through – and yet the Italian short track speed skaters are still among the best in the world. "Our girls are the truly talented ones. They've managed to form a team and develop even without her," Sighel continued, taking a jab at Fontana.

Arianna Fontana has won a total of 13 medals at the Olympic Games. © APA/afp / GABRIEL BOUYS

The latter refuses to engage in a public mudslinging match and wants to focus solely on her adventure at the home games. "That doesn't deserve my attention," she commented on the matter. "If I hadn't wanted to be part of the team, I wouldn't have been interested in training with them in Bormio and preparing for the relays; I would have stayed abroad."

Sighel did indeed speak out again and backtrack somewhat. "I didn't mean to belittle anyone, it wasn't a personal attack," he said on social media. "I never meant to be disrespectful, even if my words, as they were interpreted, might suggest otherwise. On the track, we're professionals; off the track, everyone pursues their own path."

Keywords Winter sports Olympics 2026 Speed skating Ariadne Fontana