Madeira skater wins world bronze for Portugal

The Sporting Club Santacruzense athlete completed the final in 1 minute, 25.800 seconds. Italy’s Giorgio Ghisio Erba won gold in 1:24.815, while Taiwan’s Wei-Ning Chuang took silver in 1:24.939. The three skaters finished less than a second apart, making for a close race for the podium, Diário de Notícias Madeira reports.

For Silva, the result adds a world medal to a year of strong performances. In February, he became national indoor champion in the youth category. He then won the national title in the short-distance track event in May, according to information published by the Madeira Regional Government.

His international results continued in July at the European Speed Skating Championships. Racing for Portugal, Silva won silver in the road one-lap sprint and two bronze medals on the track, in the 200-metre dual time trial and the 1,000-metre sprint. Those results came in the youth category; at the World Skate Games, he competed in the junior event.

Historic medal for Madeira

The bronze in Paraguay is also a notable result for Madeira’s speed-skating community. Diário de Notícias Madeira describes it as the region’s first medal in speed skating at these Games. Portugal had already earned a medal in the discipline through Miguel Bravo, who took bronze in the 10,000-metre elimination race.

The World Skate Games bring together several roller sports under one event, including speed skating, artistic skating, skateboarding and rink hockey. The 2026 edition is being held in Paraguay from October 2 to 18, with athletes competing across different disciplines and locations in and around Asunción. Portugal sent competitors in several events, with Rafael Silva among those representing the country in speed skating.

For Silva, the podium finish marks another step forward after a string of national and European results this year. It also brings international recognition to his club, Sporting Club Santacruzense, and to the Madeira skating community.