Francesca Lollobrigida achieved victory this Saturday in the 3,000 meters of women’s speed skating, giving Italy its first gold medal at the Milan-Cortina Games and ending Dutch dominance, which had three consecutive Olympic titles in this … distance.
Norwegian Ragne Wiklund and Canadian Valerie Maltais joined her on the podium after the start of the speed skating program at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.
Lollobrigida, great-niece of film icon Gina Lollobrigida, flew across the oval to shatter the Olympic record, stopping the clock in 3:58.26, 2.26 seconds ahead of Wiklund, to secure Italy’s first women’s Olympic title in speed skating history.
It was the first Olympic gold for the 35-year-old athlete, which adds to the silver in the 3,000 m and the bronze in the mass start that she obtained in Beijing 2022.
In his fourth Olympic Games – held on his birthday before a dedicated local audience – Lollobrigida transformed the pressure of expectations into fuel. “This medal means a lot, but it is also a demonstration: the fact of not giving up, of starting a family, of being a mother and competing again,” she said.
Realizing her victory, an excited Lollobrigida wrapped herself in the Italian flag and ran to celebrate with her two-year-old son.
«This medal means a lot, but it is also a demonstration: the fact of not giving up, of starting a family, of being a mother and competing again»
The Italian, who is also the cousin of Italy’s Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, enjoyed the moment as the stadium erupted around her.
“Being in Italy, knowing that my son, my husband, my mother, my father, my sister and all my friends were here… it made me very happy,” she said. “I did it for myself, but also for everyone who has always believed in me.”
The Italian’s victory ended the formidable Dutch legacy in the 3,000 m. The Netherlands took the podium at Pieonchang 2018, while Irene Schouten took gold at Beijing 2022 before retiring.
