Lollobrigida Claims Second Gold at Milan Cortina, Wins 5,000m by 0.1 Seconds
Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy secured her second gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics, triumphing in the women’s 5,000-meter speedskating event. This remarkable win occurred on a thrilling Thursday, where she finished in a time of 6 minutes, 46.17 seconds. The victory came by a slim margin of just 0.1 seconds over the Netherlands’ Merel Conijn, with Norway’s Ragne Wiklund finishing only 0.17 seconds behind.
Lollobrigida’s Road to Gold
Lollobrigida competed in the final heat, aware that she needed a personal best to secure victory. She expressed her excitement, noting, “I could see out of the corner of my eye that I was leading, but knew that the Dutch girl had been really fast.” This gold medal marked her second, following a victory in the 3,000 meters on her 35th birthday, which was Italy’s first gold medal at the games.
Previous Olympic Performances
In her prior Olympics in Beijing, Lollobrigida won a silver medal in the 3,000 meters and a bronze in the mass start event. She also finished fourth in the 5,000 meters, trailing the gold medalist, Irene Schouten, by 8.25 seconds. Reflecting on her journey, she said, “The 5,000 is also in my heart because I won the world title last year in it.”
Family Celebrations and Personal Motivation
After her victory, Lollobrigida celebrated the achievement with her family through a video call while her son, Tommaso, attended a carnevale party instead of witnessing the event live. Her mother’s words, “You kept your promise,” resonated deeply with Lollobrigida, who had vowed to enjoy the competition and skate without pressure following a struggle with illness earlier in the season.
The Competition
Conijn, who celebrated her own medal win, was supported by boisterous Dutch fans. She entered the event with confidence, stating, “That was just the moment and I was like, OK, now I’m happy no matter which color it ends up to be.” Sandrine Tas finished fourth, just 0.3 seconds slower than Lollobrigida.
Czech speedskating legend Martina Sáblíková, competing in her last Olympics, finished nearly 21 seconds behind the winner. Despite struggling with health issues, she expressed gratitude for the support she received from fans and family during the race.
Lollobrigida’s achievements at the Milan Cortina Olympics highlight her exceptional talent and determination, solidifying her legacy in the speedskating world.
