Xandra Velzeboer wins women’s 1000m gold at Milano Cortina 2026, Netherlands takes fourth short track title

Xandra Velzeboer has secured her second gold medal of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday, 16 February. The Dutch star won the women’s 1000m short track speed skating final with a time of 1:28.437. Canada’s Courtney Sarault earned silver in 1:28.523, while Republic of Korea’s Kim Gilli took bronze in 1:28.614. It was the fourth gold medal for the Netherlands in short track speed skating at these Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Games and another dominant display by the Dutch team on the ice.

Courtney Sarault’s finish also marked her third medal of the Winter Olympics, confirming her strong campaign. Italy’s veteran Arianna Fontana narrowly missed the podium and finished fourth after losing position late in the race. China’s Gong Li completed the top five. The final featured several top contenders, though notable names such as Team USA’s Kristen Santos-Griswold and Beijing 2022 silver medallist Choi Minjeong failed to reach the medal race.

Late race surge seals victory for Xandra Velzeboer

The race began cautiously as Courtney Sarault moved into the lead early. Arianna Fontana followed closely behind her in a preferred drafting position. The pack stayed tight for most of the distance, with skaters waiting for the right moment to attack. With five laps remaining, Xandra Velzeboer advanced into second place and positioned herself for a late push.

The decisive moment came with three laps to go. Contact and heavy traffic forced Fontana wide, dropping the 35-year-old down the order. She tried to recover but could not regain podium position. Kim Gilli, only 21 years old, attempted a bold overtake and briefly moved ahead of Sarault. The experienced Canadian responded quickly and retook the spot.

In the final laps Velzeboer showed superior speed and control. She surged past Sarault and held the inside line through the last corners. Sarault chased hard but could not match the Dutch skater’s finishing pace. Kim maintained third place and captured her first Olympic medal.

The final standings saw Velzeboer first, Sarault second, and Kim third, followed by Fontana and Gong. The stacked field highlighted the competitiveness of the event, especially with several recent world championship medallists absent from the final. Velzeboer’s victory has strengthened the Netherlands’ dominance in short track skating at the Winter Games.





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