Italy’s athletes continued to shine at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday as the host nation added several high-profile medals to its tally.
Italian speed skating star Francesca Lollobrigida claimed her second gold medal of these Olympics in dramatic fashion, winning the women’s 5,000 metres by an incredibly narrow 0.1-second margin. Her time of 6 minutes 46.17 seconds edged out the Netherlands’ Merel Conijn and Norway’s Ragne Wiklund in front of a roaring home crowd at the Milano Ice Skating Stadium. Lollobrigida had already struck gold in the women’s 3,000 metres earlier in the Games, setting an Olympic record on that occasion.
Lollobrigida’s victories come days after fellow Italian Federica Brignone won gold in the women’s Super-G, marking a remarkable comeback to the top of the podium following a serious injury.
Luge specialists also delivered exceptional results for Italy. On Wednesday, Italian teams swept both doubles luge events, capturing gold in the women’s and men’s competitions. In the women’s doubles, Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer became the first Olympic champions ever in that discipline, while Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner secured gold in the men’s doubles, thrilling home fans in Cortina.
Those luge victories were significant for Italy not just for the medals, but for their historic value, particularly the women’s doubles win — the first Olympic gold ever awarded in that event. It marked a milestone in a discipline where Italy has long been competitive.
Italy’s short-track speed skating squad also contributed to the growing medal haul. Veteran Arianna Fontana added to her legendary tally by winning silver in the women’s 500 metres, becoming one of the nation’s most decorated Olympians and matching the all-time Italian Olympic medal record.
As of Thursday evening, the host nation sat near the top of the medals table, with 17 medals overall, including six golds, placing Italy among the leading nations at these Games. Norway, with a slight edge in golds, remained ahead in the rankings.
