Francesca Lollobrigida Breaks Olympic Speed Skating Record on Birthday
Francesca Lollobrigida celebrated her 35th birthday in spectacular fashion by breaking the Olympic speed skating record. On February 7, 2026, during the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, she won the gold medal in the women’s 3,000-meter race.
Record-Breaking Performance
Lollobrigida completed the race with a stunning time of 3 minutes, 54.28 seconds. This achievement surpassed the previous record of 3:56.34, set by the Dutch skater Irene Schouten during the Beijing 2022 Games. Lollobrigida’s performance marked a significant milestone, as it was the first time since 2010 that the Netherlands did not reach the podium in this event.
Medal Standings
- Gold: Francesca Lollobrigida (Italy)
- Silver: Ragne Wiklund (Norway)
- Bronze: Valerie Maltais (Canada)
Lollobrigida finished approximately two seconds ahead of Norway’s Ragne Wiklund. Valerie Maltais from Canada secured the bronze medal, contributing to a diverse medal standings in an event traditionally dominated by Dutch athletes.
Personal Touch
A heartwarming aspect of Lollobrigida’s victory was her celebration with her young son, Tommaso, who cheered her on from the stands. This win marks her first Olympic gold medal after participating in four Olympics. In her previous appearance at the Beijing Games, she won a silver in the 3,000 meters and a bronze in the women’s mass start event.
Team USA’s Participation
Initially, Team USA was not expected to compete in the 3,000-meter race. However, a withdrawal by Czech skater Martina Sablikova allowed a young American skater, Greta Myers, to participate. Unfortunately, Myers finished in 20th place, and Team USA continues to seek its first medal at the 2026 Games.
Current Medal Count
As of 2 p.m. ET on February 7, Italy leads the overall medal count with three medals. Sweden and Norway have each secured two, while Canada and Switzerland have claimed one medal each. Team USA is still awaiting its first podium finish in this year’s Winter Olympics.
