![Francesca Lollobrigida celebrates after winning Italy’s first gold medal of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. [Photo by Yonhap]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2026/02/08/20260208022803525768.jpg)
Host nation Italy claimed its first gold medal of the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics in women’s speedskating.
Francesca Lollobrigida won the women’s 3,000 meters on Saturday at the Milan Ice Skating Arena, setting an Olympic record of 3 minutes, 54.28 seconds.
The victory gave Lollobrigida her first Olympic gold after taking silver at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Including a bronze in the mass start in Beijing, it was her third career Olympic medal (one gold, one silver, one bronze).
Ragne Wiklund of Norway took silver in 3:56.54 for her first Olympic medal. Valerie Maltais of Canada won bronze in 3:56.93.
Skating in the outer lane in the eighth pair, Lollobrigida moved into first as soon as she crossed the finish line. Four skaters who raced afterward failed to beat her time, sealing the title.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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