Maybritt Vigl has had a special day. © ANSA / TERESA SUAREZ

Maybritt Vigl: A unique atmosphere

For 21-year-old South Tyrolean Maybritt Vigl, another sporting dream came true at the Winter Olympics in Milan: The athlete from Oberinn surprisingly also competed in the 500-meter sprint.

February 16, 2026

From: pm/dl

The athlete from Oberinn surprisingly also competed in the 500-meter sprint. Originally, Vigl was only slated as a reserve runner after her 1000-meter race, but she moved up into the field at short notice.

The start was made possible by the injury-related withdrawal of top Austrian sprinter Vanessa Herzog, who had to end her Olympic participation prematurely due to ongoing health problems and opted not to compete in her signature event. This meant that Maybritt Vigl and her Italian teammate Serena Pergher ultimately represented Italy in the 500-meter Olympic sprint – both among the youngest athletes in the highly competitive field.

Intense days and the Ritten audience on site

For Vigl, the additional race represented a special opportunity, having already experienced Olympic competition in the 1000 meters. The days leading up to the race were intense, with a packed schedule and many new impressions. Her training had recently focused primarily on short, explosive sprints to hone the necessary top speed for the shortest Olympic distance. Accordingly, the South Tyrolean athlete entered the competition with confidence, but also with relatively little pressure, as her participation had only been confirmed at short notice.

Maybritt Vigl in the 500 meters on Sunday. © ANSA / TERESA SUAREZ

Vigl ultimately finished 24th in the race with a time of 38,66 seconds. After the race, she was satisfied and drew a positive conclusion: "It's a rollercoaster of emotions. I'm happy with the race. I could have started the first 100 meters faster – my starts have always been better in training, but that's just part of it. I didn't feel as good as I did in my 1000-meter race a few days ago, which is because I didn't have as much time to prepare physically and mentally for the 500 meters. But I thoroughly enjoyed it; my Ritten fans were there again, and I was incredibly happy. The atmosphere in the stadium was absolutely fantastic again today – the support was amazing, and I'll definitely take that with me."