Italian skater Francesca Lollobrigida won Italy’s first gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics with an Olympic-record time in the women’s 3,000 meters.

Italian speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida won host nation Italy’s first gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, claiming victory in the women’s 3,000 meters with an Olympic-record time of 3:54.28 on her 35th birthday. Competing in front of a home crowd in Milan, she outpaced Norway’s Ragne Wiklund and Canada’s Valerie Maltais, marking Italy’s first Olympic gold in women’s speedskating. Her win, which surpassed the previous record set by the Netherlands’ Irene Schouten, was a personal triumph after overcoming illness and balancing motherhood with elite competition.