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Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) has done it again. After opening the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 on Saturday by winning the 3000m gold medal on her 35th birthday, the Italian added a second gold in the 5000m on Thursday.

The margins were extremely tight, with the top four skaters finishing within three tenths of a second of each other. Merel Conijn (NED) took silver and Ragne Wilund (NOR) added a bronze to her 3000m silver medal. Sandrine Tas (BEL) was the unlucky skater in fourth place, just 0.30s off the gold.

Mass Start Sprint secures gold for Lollobrigida

Lollobrigida started in the final pairing versus Martina Sáblíková (CZE). 

"I knew I was [almost] skating alone because I spoke with Martina, and she wasn't feeling well. It was a race against the time, but also against myself,” she explained.

"I had to do my personal best. I spoke with [coach Maurizio] Marchetto. I needed a different strategy, because in the 3000m you just go faster and faster. In the 5000m you need to be a bit smarter. I couldn't start fast."

Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) put in regular splits before a sprint finish saw her claim her second gold medal of the Milan Games © Getty Images

Before Lollobrigida took the ice, Conijn had set the fastest time in 6 minutes and 46.27s. Ragne Wiklund (NOR) had attacked that time in the penultimate pairing, but even though she had a 1.93s lead over Conijn's split time going into the final lap, Wiklund fell 0.07s short of the Dutchwoman on the finish line.

Conijn's last two laps were 31.8s and 31.4s, whereas Wilund closed with a 33.6s lap.

Lollobrigida more or less matched the split times Wiklund had skated throughout the race. 

"I had to concentrate on my split times and I watched the scoreboard and it was green, green, but I knew that Conijn had skated very fast final laps,” she said.

With just one lap to go, Lollobrigida had a 0.50s lead over Conijn, but that gap was decreasing rapidly and instinct took over. Two hands down, the former Mass Start and inline specialist set off in a final sprint from the last back-stretch up until the finish line. 

"I thought: do the sprint as if it were a Mass Start. I was lucky that I finished in the inner lane on the last turn. I won the [2025] World Championships in this distance and I also wanted to have an Olympic medal in the distance."

Carried on the waves of the loudly cheering home crowd, Lollobrigida pulled out a 31.8s last lap, which left her with a 0.10s margin over Conijn at the line. As the stadium exploded, Lollobrigida needed a few minutes to recuperate.

Lollobrigida takes in her achievement in doubling up on the 3000m and 5000m © Getty Images

"After the race I was with my hands on my legs. I wanted to say thanks to the people, but I couldn't at first. I was dead."

Rollercoaster for Conijn and Tas

For Conijn and Tas, who had skated in the first first pair after the halftime ice-cleaning break, watching the remaining pairs featuring Wiklund and Lollobrigida had been a nerve-wracking ordeal.

"It’s a rollercoaster of emotions," Conijn said. “At first I was super happy when my coaches said that I would be sure of a medal [after she was still on top with just one pair to go].

"I just couldn’t believe it. Bronze, but then I thought it might also even become gold, but that was not the case unfortunately. It was a small moment of disappointment, but on the other hand I'm really happy."

Pair-mates Sandrine Tas (BEL, left) and Merel Conijn (NED, right) set the two fastest times until the last two pairs took the ice © Getty Images

Sandrine Tas, an alumni of the ISU Development program, was close to tears after missing out on the podium.

"Straight after my race I already knew that there was a big chance that I would end up fourth,” she admitted.

"Merel just skated two very fast last laps. When you see that Ragne sets a time in between and Lollobrigida just 0.10s faster, that’s when you start thinking: where did I leave it on the ice? But I just skated the race of my life and it just was not enough."

Mixed emotions for Wiklund 

Like Lollobrigida, Wiklund didn’t have an opponent to fight against in her pairing, as Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) was not able to keep up with her pace. 

"I had hoped for fight against Francesca. I think that would have been really fun, now the both of us had to do our race alone today, which I think is a bit of a pity," said the Norwegian.

Yet Wiklund was content with her performance, until the final laps kicked in.

"I went out to skate just about 32-second laps and I felt like I got the speed easy, and it wasn't easy until three laps left.”

Conijn, Lollobrigida and Wiklund show off their medals © Getty Images

The result left her with mixed emotions. 

"I'm super happy that I've got the medal, but it was such a small margin and that makes it more emotional I guess."

Farewell to a champion

For Sáblíková, the 5000m was her Olympic swansong. Having made her debut at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, the Czech skater collected a total of three gold medals, a silver and a bronze. 

In Milan, she had to skip Saturday's 3000m because of a virus infection, and although not fully recovered yet, she didn't want to miss out on participating at her sixth Olympics by lining up in the 5000m.

Triple Olympic champion Martina Sáblíková (CZE) made it onto the ice to bid an emotional farewell to the Games © Getty Images

Skating far behind Lollobrigida in the final pairing, Sáblíková finished 11th in 7:07.08. 

"It was the worst 5000m of my life," she said. "It was just impossible to skate fast. But at the same time, it was the best 5000m of my life.

"Before the start I was crazy emotional, I started crying, and then after the race… I don't have words. 

"I know a lot of people from Czechia and my fans are here, so I had to do what I could and come here.

"I am very proud of myself. I want to thank my team and my family."

Sáblíková will bid her final farewell from speed skating at the World Allround Championships in Thialf, Heerenveen (NED) on 7 March.

"I would like to say goodbye to the fans in Thialf, because the atmosphere there is legendary and the fans are incredible, so I would like to say goodbye and then quit,” she vowed.