Events unfolded during the race when Italian Pietro Sighel collided with Canadian Maxime Laoun, resulting in Sighel falling onto the ice due to Laoun's overtaking attempt.
After the race, the judges reviewed the incident, but instead of reinstating the Italian athlete's results, they decided to fully disqualify him.
This decision sparked an uproar in Italy. The Italian sports federation filed an official protest, pointing out the "inconsistent and contradictory" decisions made by the same referee throughout the competition.
The federation's statement also notes that similar concerns are expressed by coaches and representatives from other countries. Additionally, the Italian side expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of the International Skating Union, which, in their opinion, did not take timely measures to ensure fairness during the competition.
This incident further heightened tensions surrounding the officiating at the 2026 Olympics and once again called into question the consistency of rule application in short track.
