'Athlete mum' Francesca Lollobrigida delivers 'film-star performance' with Olympic record to seal Italy's first Milano Cortina 2026 gold medal
By Leon Imber
Updated 07/02/2026 at 20:21 GMT
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Francesca Lollobrigida, the great-niece of Hollywood star Gina, delivered hosts Italy's first gold medal of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in emphatic style, smashing the Olympic record in the 3000m speed skating event on Saturday. On her 35th birthday, Lollobrigida clinched her maiden Olympic gold medal at what is set to be her final Games, sparking wild scenes in Milan.
'How lovely is this' - Heartwarming scenes as Lollobrigida shares golden moment with family
Video credit: TNT Sports
Speed skating star Francesca Lollobrigida delivered a "film-star performance" to claim Italy's first gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with a staggering Olympic record - on her 35th birthday.
Lollobrigida, competing at her fourth and final Winter Olympics, sparked jubilant scenes at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium as she powered to the line in 3:54.28 - crushing the Olympic record by more than two-and-a-half seconds.
The Italian star is the great-niece of Hollywood great Gina Lollobrigida - and wrote her own slice of box-office entertainment on Saturday to claim her maiden Winter Olympic gold medal.
"Look at that time!" TNT Sports commentator Carlton Kirby exclaimed. "Olympic record for goodness sake.
"Francesca Lollobrigida, on her birthday, posts 3:54.28, two seconds and more than the previous record.
"That was absolutely joyous, and equally emphatic. What an absolute privilege that was. Olympic record for Francesca Lollobrigida, a film-star performance, I've got to say. That was absolutely remarkable."
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Watch: Muir WOWS with brilliant first run as she seals slopestyle final spot
Video credit: TNT Sports
Lollobrigida finished over two seconds clear of Norway's second-placed Ragne Wiklund, while Canada's Valerie Maltais claimed bronze.
There were wholesome scenes for Lollobrigida after her gold medal was confirmed, as she ran backstage to reunite with her son - who she gave birth to in 2023, before returning to competition just four months later.
Lollobrigida told TNT Sports of her difficulties leading up to the Winter Olympics, saying she struggled to find positivity after being hampered by a virus.
"This season, I wanted it to be the perfect one, but instead it was the worst of my life," she said.
"During the World Cup qualification, I was always crying after the races, and I wanted to quit because I got a virus, between October and December.
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'Friends forever' as the speed skaters pose for selfies
Video credit: TNT Sports
"I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was not positive. Thanks to my son, my husband, to my family that really supported me, and my team-mates. I wanted to show to my son, who was here watching, how strong his mum is. Never give up."
Speaking about her son, Lollobrigida added: "I hope he will be proud of his mum. The message I want to show him is that if you have a dream, just follow it.
"It’s not easy, but they always told me if you choose family, it’s hard to come back, blah blah.
"I wanted to be a mom, and I wanted to be an Olympic champion! It’s my birthday, and happy birthday to me."
Saturday's gold represents a remarkable achievement for Lollobrigida, which was not lost on TNT Sports experts Amy Williams and Aimee Fuller.
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"To be an athlete at that level after giving birth - your body is never quite the same," Williams said.
"I think any mother who has had a child and comes back to be the best in the world, hats off."
Fuller said: "We are definitely seeing more stories of that. It only takes one woman to do that and it opens up the field. It is so, so impressive."
Lollobrigida won silver at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in the 3000m event, alongside bronze in the mass start.
But Saturday's gold will forever write her into Italian Olympic history, and is among the first of many spectacular storylines to emerge over the next fortnight.
How to watch the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026
TNT Sports and discovery+ will be the go-to destination in the UK to watch all of Milano Cortina 2026 live, with more than 850 hours of action from every sport, venue and medal event.
Coverage will be made available to the widest audience ever, with discovery+ customers across all plans - starting at £3.99/month in the UK and €4.99/month in Ireland - able to access comprehensive live coverage with 24/7 coverage available through TNT Sports 2 and a selection of live event feeds.
TNT Sports 2 will serve as the primary Olympic destination, offering more than 200 hours of live event coverage, studio programming, replays and highlights, delivering round-the-clock storytelling from Milano Cortina across all 17 days of competition.
Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at £3.99.
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