The clock stops at 6’46″17 and the crowd explodes. Francesca Lollobrigida signs another memorable page of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics, winning gold in the 5000 meters of long track speed skating. It is her second triumph in these Games after the one in the 3000 metres, a significant encore and which consolidates her name among the absolute protagonists of the Olympic event.
In the sixth and final heat, the one that decides everything, the Italian builds a big advantage in the first part of the race. Then the fatigue makes itself felt, but Federica holds on until crossing the finish line with just ten hundredths of a second ahead of the Dutch Merel Conijn who finishes in 6’46″27. The bronze goes to Norway’s Ragne Wiklund.
View this post on Instagram
A double from a long track legend
Achieving the Olympic double in the distance, 3000 and 5000 meters in the same edition, is a feat reserved for very few champions. Before Lollobrigida, only Yvonne van Gennip in 1988, Gunda Niemann in 1992, Claudia Pechstein in 2002, Martina Sablikova in 2010 and Irene Schouten in 2022 succeeded. From 2026, Italy’s name is also on that list.
But it’s not just one more medal. With this success Lollobrigida becomes the most medaled Italian athlete in the history of Italian speed skating. A record that certifies continuity, longevity and quality at the highest levels. The fourth overall Olympic medal completes a journey that finds its definitive consecration in Milan Cortina.
And Milano Cortina 2026 speaks more and more Italian with the sixth gold won and second place in the medal table at the time of writing, one step away from Norway with 7 golds but with one more medal than all the nations for a total total of 15 while waiting for the evening’s races which will be able to give us even new emotions.
View this post on Instagram
You might also be interested in:
