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Everything came together for Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) in the 3000m on her 35th birthday in the opening Speed Skating event of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.  

Inspired by the home crowd, the Italian veteran attacked the race like no one else could, and nobody was able to match the new Olympic record she set of 3 minutes and 54.28s.

Ragne Wiklund (NOR) was happy to take silver in 3:56.54, while Valérie Maltais (CAN) took bronze. For both the Norwegian and the Canadian, it was their career first individual Olympic medals.

Mamma Francesca completes the comeback

Lollobrigida had not expected to end up on top of the podium. After winning her first career World title in the 5000m last year, she had struggled to find her rhythm this season.

"I wanted [this season] to be the perfect one, but instead, it was the worst one of my life,” she admitted. 

“I was crying every race, I wanted to quit, I didn't want to be in Milano in this condition."

Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) rose to the occasion, not just taking 3000m gold in front of her home crowd but smashing the Olympic Record as well © Getty Images

Lollobrigida, who came back to the ice after giving birth to her son Tommaso in 2022, struggled with illness in the early part of this season. 

"It was not my fault, maybe Tomaso picked something in the kindergarten and gave me the virus. It's something that can happen to every mother. But my husband, my family, the Federation, [coach Maurizio] Marchetto, they all said: Don't give up."

And Lollobrigida didn't give up. Just as in 2023 she came back stronger from her maternity leave, so this season she has returned stronger from illness.

"Milano Cortina for me meant that I could show the people that that I'm much stronger, because I won a gold medal after being a mom. My goal was to show that being a mom and being a top athlete is possible.

"It's not easy, you really need teamwork, starting with my husband, my family, my federation, they did the project with me. Marchetto said: ‘I never trained a mom before, but we can do it together’, and also the president of the federation, they said: ‘We'll make a plan, just tell us what you need and we'll organize stuff’. They just gave me a white paper."

Milano energy drives Maltais

Just a week before the start of the Milan Olympic Games, Lollobrigida felt confident on the ice again. 

"I realized that last Saturday, when I came here, I was feeling powerful on the ice again," said the new Olympic Champion.

"That's why my mind was positive, but to be honest, I didn't expect the gold. My goal was at least the bronze medal."

Racing against Maltais, Lollobrigida set the fastest opener of the field in 19.47s, and she managed to maintain her pace throughout the entire race. 

"It's something that I learned from inline [skating]. I'm a fighter. I'm not scared, and then the last three laps, I was just really rolling."

Maltais wasn't scared either. She followed Lollobrigida's stride and the two women pushed each other to a higher level throughout the race.

Valérie Maltais (CAN) tracked pair-mate Lollobrigida all the way to bronze, her first individual Olympic medal © Getty Images

The Canadian former Short Track skater had enjoyed the experience thoroughly.

"This energy and the crowd being loud, I was ready for that,” she said. 

“I skated in stadium with 15,000-18,000 people in Russia [in Short Track at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi], also in Vancouver [2010 Olympic Games]. It was fun too be with Lollobrigida in the pair.

"It was a challenging race, but I skated good. I was really aware of what I was doing, I don't think it was my most perfect race, but sometimes you don't have to be perfect to be on the podium."

Maltais added her first individual medal to her previous Olympic Relay silver in Short Track in 2014 and Team Pursuit gold in Long Track in 2022. 

"That was something I knew deep down I could achieve," she added. 

Deserved souvenir for Wiklund

After Lollobrigida and Maltais had set the bar in the eighth of 10 pairings, Wiklund took on Marijke Groenewoud in the ninth pairing. The Norwegian stayed close to Lollobrigida's lap times, while Groenewoud stayed behind. In the end Wiklund came 2.26s short of the gold, but she was 0.39s faster than Maltais to pick up the silver.

Ragne Wiklund (NOR, left) shows off her 'little silver souvenir' alongside her fellow 3000m medalists © Getty Images

"I really, really wanted to reach the podium today,” Wiklund said after the race.

“And I think that Lollobrigida's time, there wasn't a lot I could do about it, be honest.

“Before the race, I thought: if she did sit, maybe I can do it too, and I tried to keep a positive mind. 

“I feel like I managed to be positive the whole race, and I do a very solid race in a solid time.

"Since the last Olympics, I've been winning the overall long distance World Cup Trophy every year, and I feel like I really deserve to be top three and to be able to go home with just a little souvenir," she added, pointing at her silver medal.