Roberto Sighel

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Roberto Sighel (born 17 February 1967 in Trento) is a former Italian speedskater, with particularly strong achievements in the allround samalogue competitions. His skating career was unusually long, competing at top international level from 1988 to 2002. He participated in each of the 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002 Olympics, with 7th place his best result (10,000-m 1988, 5000-m 2002). Sighel won the 1992 World Allround Championships, where he set a world record with 157.150 (37.38, 6:43,91, 1:52,38, 13:58,39). He also held the world record for one hour skating, with 41.041 km, skated in Calgary 24 March 1999; this record lasted until Henk Angenent skated 41.669 km on 12 March 2004, also in Calgary.

In the World Allround Championships series, his results were 23 (1987), 6 (1988), 15 (1989), 2 (1991), 1 (1992), 6 (1993), 13 (1994), 3 (1995), 13 (1996), 22 (1997), 3 (1998), 4 (1999), 19 (2001), 7 (2002). His personal bests are 36.93 (500-m), 1:12.92 (1000-m), 1:47.47 (1500-m), 3:46.80 (3000-m), 6:25.11 (5000-m), 13:26.19 (10000-m).

Very few skaters manage to stay within the top ten of the Adelskalender over several seasons. Sighel is among those few, as he was no. 14 after the 1989 season, no. 15 after 1990, no. 9 after 1991, no. 2 after 1992, no. 3 after 1993, no. 4 after 1994, no. 4 after 1995, no. 5 after 1996, no. 7 after 1997, no. 3 after 1998, no. 3 after 1999, no. 5 after 2000, no. 13 after 2001, and no. 10 at career finish at 2002.