Talk about a birthday to remember.
Speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida set a new Olympic record on her 35th birthday on Saturday en route to winning Italy’s first Olympic gold medal of the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
Lollobrigida skated the 3,000-meter race in a record 3 minutes, 54.28 seconds, trimming more than two-and-a-half seconds off the previous record set by Dutch skater Irene Schouten in the 2022 Beijing Games.
Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy competes to win the gold medal in the women’s 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. AP
Lollobrigida finished about two seconds ahead of Norway’s Ragne Wiklund, who earned the silver medal. Canada’s Valerie Maltais received the bronze in an event that’s typically dominated by the Netherlands.
This is actually the first time the Dutch missed out of the podium entirely since 2010.
The best part of Lollobrigida’s win may have been the moment she shared with her young son, Tommaso, who was cheering her on from the stands.
This is Lollobrigida’s fourth Olympics but first gold medal. She won silver in the 3,000-meter speed skate and bronze in the women’s mass start event four years ago in Beijing.
2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
Women’s 3000m Victory Ceremony – Milano Speed Skating Stadium, Milan, Italy – February 07, 2026.
Gold medallist Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates with her son after the victory ceremony. REUTERS
Francesca Lollobrigida Gian Mattia D’Alberto/LaPresse/Shutterstock
Team USA initially wasn’t expected to be represented in the 3,000-meter race. But Czech skater Martina Sablikova’s withdrawal opened the door for 21-year-old American skater Greta Myers to compete for a medal. Ultimately, Myers finished in 20th place.
As of 2 p.m. ET, Italy leads the medal count with three. Sweden and Norway each have two medals, and Canada and Switzerland have one medal.
Team USA is still waiting for its first medal of this year’s games.
