Short Track Chaos! Unexpected Twist Rocks Mixed Relay Final!

Milan is buzzing with anticipation as the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics get underway, and for Short track speed skating fans, it all kicks off Tuesday. The very first medals of the competition are set to be awarded in the always-thrilling mixed team relay. Now, if you followed the Beijing Winter Games in 2022, you'll remember the shock – South Korea, the absolute powerhouse in Olympic short track history with a staggering 26 gold medals, suffered a quarterfinal exit in this very event's Olympic debut. Ouch.

Short Track Chaos! Unexpected Twist Rocks Mixed Re...

So, what exactly is this mixed team relay all about? Picture this: a 2,000-meter sprint across 18 heart-pounding laps. Each nation puts forward a team of two women and two men, and they've got to stick to a *very* specific order. It’s like a meticulously choreographed dance on ice: female No. 1, female No. 2, male No. 1, male No. 2, then back to female No. 1, female No. 2, male No. 1, and finally, male No. 2. The opening leg sees skaters complete two and a half laps, followed by two laps for the second leg. Strategy and seamless transitions are absolutely key to success here. A fumble, a slight hesitation, and it could cost you the entire race.

Looking back at the 2025-2026 International Skating Union Short track World Tour season, the mixed team relay was anything but predictable. We saw a real spread of winners, with South Korea, China, Canada, and the Netherlands all taking home gold medals. The Dutch team proved to be consistently strong, securing two silver medals, while South Korea added a silver and a bronze to their collection. It's safe to say the competition will be fierce.

The mixed team relay quarterfinals are scheduled to kick off bright and early (well, almost) just before noon at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Before that, the morning session will be jam-packed with heats for the women's 500m and the men's 1,000m events. So, a full day of short track action is on the cards.

But that’s not all for Tuesday! Later in the day, at 6:30 p.m. at the very same venue, figure skating fans can look forward to Cha Jun-hwan and Kim Hyun-gyeom performing their short programs in the men's singles competition. It’s Cha's third Olympic appearance, though it got off to a slightly rocky start on Saturday during the team event. He had a rare misstep on a double axel, a jump he usually nails, and ended up with 83.53 points, just a bit shy of his season best. Here's hoping he can shake off that minor setback and deliver a performance he can be proud of. All eyes will definitely be on the ice!