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Speed skating at Milano Cortina 2026 is part of the official Winter Olympic Games sports program, under the umbrella of the Olympic Speed Skating competitions, and represents the highest international level of long-track speed skating. No wonder, given that they are part of a major international multi-sport event held every four years, such as the Winter Olympics.

Speed skating events are spread across the central part of the Olympic schedule, from February 7 to 21, 2026, in Rho.

Speed skating at the 2026 Olympics is co-organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) — overall Games authority, Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee — local event operations, and the International Skating Union (ISU) — which governs speed skating rules, formats, and athlete eligibility

Venues, Competitors’ Structure, and Prize Pool Overview for Speed Skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Speed skating at Milano Cortina 2026 will take place at a newly built indoor Olympic speed skating oval, Milano Speed Skating Stadium, which is located in a temporary facility named Milano Ice Park (which itself was built within the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition grounds) in Rho, a town near Milan. It’s designed specifically for long-track speed skating competitions and legacy use after the Games.

A total of 180 speed skaters will compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics: 90 men and 90 women. These athletes are spread across all speed skating distances and team events.

There’s no official prize money awarded by the Olympic Games. Athletes compete for Olympic medals (gold, silver, bronze). Some countries offer national bonuses to medal winners, but these payments are set by individual governments or national Olympic committees — not by the Olympics

Participating Athletes in Speed Skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Qualification Overview

The Olympic speed skating field comprises the world’s best long-track speed skaters, selected by their national teams. There’s no final public start list yet, because athlete selections are only confirmed shortly before the Games. Each country announces its official squad after the qualification period ends.

Skaters qualify through their results in major international competitions before the Olympics. The basic process works like this:

1. Skaters compete in ISU World Cup races and other official qualification events
2. They earn ranking points and time standards
3. Countries earn Olympic quota spots
4. National skating federations choose which athletes fill those spots

So the pathway is: Strong race performances → ranking points and time standards → Olympic spots → national team selection.

Structure and Competition Format of Speed Skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Speed skating at the Olympics isn’t a single tournament bracket. Instead, it consists of multiple separate races, one for each distance.

Main competition stages:

• Race day (final stage). Most speed skating events go directly to a final race, without knockout rounds.
• Competition period:
  February 7–21, 2026
  (Each distance has its own scheduled race day within this window.)

Some longer team events and mass-start races may include heats earlier the same day or the day before, but the majority of medals are decided in a single main race per distance.

Speed skating uses time-based competition, not head-to-head elimination (except for mass start).

Individual distance events (500m–10,000m)

Format:

• Skaters race in pairs
• Each skater competes against the clock, not directly against the opponent
• Everyone skates the full distance once

Winner:

• The skater with the fastest overall time wins gold

Elimination:

• There’s no knockout elimination
• All qualified skaters complete their race

Team pursuit

Format:

• Teams of three skaters
• Two teams race on the track at the same time

Winner:

• Fastest finishing team wins

Elimination system:

• Quarterfinals → semifinals → finals
• Losers are eliminated in knockout rounds

Mass start

Format:

• Large group race (up to 24 skaters)
• Points awarded during sprint laps and final lap

Winner:

• Highest points total wins

Elimination:

• Heats → final
• Only top skaters advance from heats

Favorites in Speed Skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Betting Options, and Where to Watch

These athletes and nations are considered strong favorites based on recent World Cup dominance, world records, and Olympic pedigree:

• Netherlands (overall powerhouse)
• Jordan Stolz (USA) — sprint & middle distance
• Patrick Roest (Netherlands) — long distance
• Irene Schouten (Netherlands) — women’s long distance
• Miho Takagi (Japan) — women’s sprint & middle distance

Speed skating betting is usually offered by major international sportsbooks during the Olympic Games. The most reliable coverage usually comes from:

• International multi-sport bookmakers
  (Strong Olympic coverage, wide event selection)
• Winter sports-focused platforms
  (Better speed skating depth and discipline-specific markets)
• Live betting sportsbooks
  (Useful for mass start and team pursuit races)

Many comparison platforms highlight the biggest bookmaker options based on odds quality, market variety, and Olympic coverage.

Best speed skating betting markets:

• Outright winner (gold medal). Pick the skater who will win a specific distance.
• Podium finish (top-3). Safer option — predict any medal finish.
• Head-to-head matchups. Choose which of the two skaters finishes with the better time.
• Team pursuit winner. Popular knockout-style market for national teams.
• Top-5 / top-10 placement. Good for consistent skaters who regularly reach finals.

Speed skating will be broadcast globally through official Olympic rights holders.

Major TV broadcasters. Coverage typically includes:

• USA: NBC / Peacock
• UK: BBC
• Canada: CBC
• Europe: Eurosport / Discovery+

Online streaming options. You can also watch via:

• Olympics.com & Olympic Channel (highlights, clips, some live streams)
• Official broadcaster apps
• Discovery+ (Europe)
• Peacock (USA)

Most platforms offer live races, replays, and on-demand sessions.

Pros and Cons of Favorites in Speed Skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics