Lollobrigida’s Double Gold and Record Time Ignite Skating Fever in Italy

The Italy National Speed Skating Team has celebrated another landmark: Francesca Lollobrigida stormed to victory in the women’s 5,000 m, an achievement that strengthens Italy’s medal haul and reinvigorates interest in long-distance skating across the country.

Why This Matters

• Historic double – Lollobrigida now owns both the 3,000 m and 5,000 m Olympic titles, a first for an Italian skater.

• Record Italian total – Her win lifts the host nation to 15 medals, only a step behind Norway.

• New national benchmark – The 6:46.17 performance resets the Italian record for the distance.

• Boost for local rinks – Grass-roots clubs are already reporting spikes in enquiries from young skaters.

A Home-Ice Triumph

Cheered on by a capacity crowd at the Milano Cortina Oval, the 35-year-old Roman delivered a race that blended controlled pacing with a ferocious closing lap. The slim 0.10-second margin over Dutch rival Merel Conijn left the arena holding its breath until the scoreboard confirmed gold for the home favourite. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund completed the podium.

How the Race Was Won

Starting with a sharp 19.92-second opener, Lollobrigida settled into a string of mid-32-second laps that kept her within striking distance of Conijn’s split times. The decisive move came on the bell: a final 400 m in 31.86 s, the quickest of the field, turned a narrow deficit into victory. "I knew the crowd would carry me that last lap," she told Italy State Broadcaster RAI moments after stepping off the ice.

The Numbers in Context

• 6:46.17 – new Italian record, personal best for Lollobrigida.

• 2.66 s shy of the Olympic mark set in Beijing 2022, underlining the elevation challenge of the Cortina venue.

• 7.15 s off the world record, yet faster than any time posted on European ice in the last two seasons.

What This Means for Residents

Italy’s surprise surge in the medal table rekindles the debate over investment in winter sports infrastructure south of the Alps. Expect:

Expanded public-ice hours – Municipal rinks from Bolzano to Bari have announced extended schedules during school holidays.

Tax incentives – The Italy Sports Ministry is finalising a 30 % equipment credit for families who enrol children in certified skating programmes.

Tourism bump – Ski towns anticipate longer stays as visitors add oval sessions to traditional downhill itineraries.

A Wider Boost for Italian Winter Sport

Lollobrigida’s journey—from 18 inline world titles to Olympic ice—has become a case study for cross-discipline talent development. CONI’s High-Performance Unit plans to replicate the model in roller-ski and short-track pipelines. Sponsors, sensing momentum, have already pledged fresh funding: energy company Eni announced a €4 M youth-skating endowment within hours of the victory.

Looking Ahead

The double champion is expected to skip the team pursuit to focus on the mass-start finale, where she collected bronze four years ago. Should she medal again, Lollobrigida would surpass all Italian Winter Olympians except Arianna Fontana. For now, her back-to-back distance wins have handed the host nation a narrative of resilience and ambition—and given everyday Italians a tangible incentive to lace up skates this winter.