Francesca Lollobrigida delivered an emotional and historic gold for Italy on the opening day of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Italy start day two at the top of the medal table.
Even before the final pairing of the women’s 3,000m speed skating had finished, Tommaso was being rushed towards the centre of the track. His mother, racing on her 35th birthday, had just shattered the Olympic record and was closing in on the title. When Joy Beune and Isabelle Weidemann failed to threaten her time, Lollobrigida sprinted through the stadium to collect her son as the gold was confirmed.
The Italian crossed the line at the Milano Ice Park in 54.28 seconds, cutting two and a half seconds off the record set by Irene Schouten at Beijing 2022. It marked Lollobrigida’s first Olympic gold at her fourth Games, following silver four years ago, and ignited celebrations inside the arena.
Each split from the following skaters drew roars from the crowd as the times flashed red. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund claimed silver and the Netherlands’ Marijke Groenewoud fell short, while Beune and Weidemann never came close. Lollobrigida was already in tears before the final pair finished. “This medal means a lot,” she said. “It shows you don’t have to give up. I became a mother and came back to race.” Canada’s Valérie Maltais took bronze.
Medals in men’s downhill skiing
Italy’s golden moment capped a remarkable first day that had already delivered medals in the men’s downhill skiing. In Bormio, Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen emerged as the surprise winner after a dramatic race that briefly saw his team-mates occupy all three podium places. Von Allmen slashed seven-tenths of a second off the fastest time set by favourite Marco Odermatt, who finished outside the medals.
The Swiss sweep did not last. Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris surged into second and third, pushing Odermatt and Alexis Monney off the podium. It was a rare achievement for the hosts, who had won just three men’s downhill medals since 1948 and added two more on a poignant day.
After taking silver, Franzoni dedicated his medal to close friend and team-mate Matteo Franzoso, who died last year aged 25 in a training accident in Chile. “The energy I’ve drawn from what happened is immense,” he said. “I know he’s watching me.” For Paris, bronze marked his first Olympic medal at the age of 36, in his fifth Games.
With one gold, one silver and one bronze, Italy finished day one level with Japan and Norway at the top of the medal table.
