Pietro Sighel (ITA) got off the best possible start in his ISU European Short Track Championships 2024 campaign as he won two gold medals in two events at the Hala Olivia in Gdansk, Poland, on Saturday.
The currently unbeatable 24-year-old defended his title in the men's 500m and added a maiden 1500m triumph to his steadily growing medal collection.
"It's really amazing. It's a gold medal I hadn't taken before and I did and I'm really happy for me and for the team," Sighel said.
One year ago he had claimed his first international gold medal in the same arena, winning the 500m. Today’s double leaves him dreaming of a clean sweep with the addition of 1000m gold on Sunday.
"I'm relaxed now, I will do my best and we will see," he added.
Pietro Sighel (ITA) retained his ISU European Short Track 500m title and added 1500m gold to set up a tilt at the treble @ISU
"After two gold medals you can hope, but short track is a sport where it's not just about the time, anything can happen."
And looking at the 1500m final, he was right – anything really could have happened.
Roberts Kruzbergs (LAT) had taken the lead in the ninth of 14 laps, keeping it until the last lap and looking like he would claim his first international medal.
But in the last turn, Sighel left his fifth place and came storming on the outside of the field to battle it out with Friso Emons (NED). The Italian pipped Emons to gold by 3/100ths of a second, while Kruzbergs fell, leaving Itzhak de Laat (NED) to pick up the last podium spot.
A patient Sighel, left, came round the outside in the final corner to beat Friso Emons (NED, centre) to gold by millimeters @ISU
"In the last corner I had the speed because I was on the outside," Sighel said.
"I saw that the other guys were really close and I tried to stay outside. It was better for me and I finished first, but the guys were really, really strong.
"It means a lot because the start of the season was a little hard for me and now I win at a distance I haven't won before. That's a push to end the season well."
Emons edges closer to the top step
Emons, who had taken a bronze medal at the distance at last year's European championships, was happy to advance one more step up the podium.
"I hope it will be third time the charm next year," said the 25-year-old, still dreaming of his first individual international gold medal.
"It's amazing to be on the podium again this year. Very close to the gold medal and it was very close at the finish line, for all of us. So of course I'm a little sad, but I'm still very happy with the silver.”
He said he had felt in control throughout the whole race, waiting behind Kruzbergs and planning to push past the Latvian in the last stretch – when suddenly there was a line of four skaters next to each other by the finish.
Sighel and Emons meet after the race, alongside pace-setter Roberts Kruzbergs (LAT) who fell and missed out on a medal @ISU
"I always knew that Pietro was going to go for a fast lap at the end, because he always does, and he has that explosiveness in him," Emons said.
"When I moved to the front I was expecting him to come but I just needed a little extra for the gold today."
Emons had also been close to falling just before the finish line.
“At one point I was almost falling backwards because it was a bit of a hassle to go to the line, that sort of thing happens when you go to the line with four people," he said.
"In the end I just saw three people next to me and one of them was falling forward and we all tried to go as fast to the line. Happily I didn't fall and I still managed to get the medal."
He rates the silver medal as the best result of his career.
"It shows that I'm going in the right direction. Last two years I've really felt that I'm getting into my own (style), I'm having a little bit more experience in the sport, and I'm developing really strongly. This just shows that it's going the right way and I'm continuing."
De Laat leaves it late to snatch bronze
Getting on his first podium this season, bronze medallist de Laat was also sure that he is on the path to success at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in March.
Itzhak de Laat (NED, right) took advantage of Kruzbergs' slip to take bronze @ISU
"I knew my 1500m was getting better and better, so I knew that if I would make the final here and skated a good race I would be good enough for a medal," the 29-year-old said.
"This is just a confirmation that I'm on the right track, and I'll just get better and better from here. So I can leave with a big smile today.
"Maybe I was a little too hesitant halfway, but with short track, being patient also sometimes really pays off. So it's always a gamble: am I going to be active or am I waiting? This time I perhaps waited a little too long so I could only grab a bronze medal, but it's still a medal and I'm happy with it."
De Laat enjoyed the scrum at the end of the race.
"It's not a good short track final if it isn't a bit messy in the end. I came from the back with a lot of speed, so I knew that I just had to find a gap and throw my leg out. Then Roberts fell, unfortunately for him, and I picked the spot right on the line. It's a shame for him but lucky for me," he said.
Kruzbergs was disappointed, having had one hand on the victory before missing out on the podium altogether.
"The race was all good until the finish line. I could almost taste the gold medal," he said.
"But I just put my tip in the ice and fell from the first position to the fourth in a few milliseconds."
Sighel makes short work of sprint
In the men's 500m, Sighel stayed in third place for three of five laps before pushing to the front on the penultimate lap to take a more comfortable victory than he had in the 1500m. Teun Boer (NED) finished second and Stijn Desmet (BEL) claimed bronze.
Sighel pushed himself to the front on the penultimate lap of the 500m to retain his European title in comfortable fashion @ISU
"The 500m has the fastest laps and it's not easy to pass many people when you go all out, but I tried, I feel good on the ice with my skates, I did it and I'm really happy," the winner said.
Sighel enjoys being back where he won his first international medal in 2021.
"[Gdansk] is a special place because at my first European championships here I took a silver, then last year I took gold, now I took two gold so it's good," he said.
The Polish port city could be a venue to remember for Boer too. The 22-year-old Dutchman had not made it to an A final this season before Saturday's silver success.
"I was hoping for gold of course, but I'm really happy with my silver medal," he said.
"I showed what I was worth and I skated the fastest time in every race, so that gave a lot of confidence for the A final.
"Then it was a really good race, I showed my strength, and then at the end, when Pietro Sighel came there was nothing to do about that. He had a good day and it was a nice move, so I'm very happy with the result."
Teun Boer (NED, left) won silver in his first A final of the season, Belgium's Stijn Desmet, right, taking the bronze @ISU
Desmet saw a lot to learn from the Italian winner.
"I had a good start and a decent last lap, but I want to make moves like Pietro. It was very impressive and I want to compete with him," the 25-year-old said.
"It wasn't exactly my goal to get a bronze medal but with how it went, I'm happy. It was well-deserved: he was stronger, he was faster, he had good moves so today I couldn't compete with him. But it's fine, next time, hopefully."
For full results, entry lists and further information about the ISU European Short Track Championships 2024, please visit webpage here.
Where to watch
Viewers will be able to watch the Saturday and Sunday afternoon (local time) ISU European Short Track Championships sessions via their national broadcaster/channel.
For countries where there are no broadcasters and for the qualification and repechage races, the ISU will offer a live stream on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. You will find the full list on the Where to watch webpage here.
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