Italian speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida had a birthday to remember, setting a new Olympic record and winning Italy's first gold medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. On her 35th birthday, she skated the 3,000-meter race in a record-breaking 3 minutes, 54.28 seconds, slicing over two-and-a-half seconds off the previous record. This achievement was even more special as she shared the moment with her young son, Tommaso, who cheered her on from the stands. It was a historic day for Italian speed skating, as Lollobrigida's win marked the first time the Dutch missed the podium entirely since 2010. This is Lollobrigida's fourth Olympics, but her first gold medal. She previously won silver in the 3,000-meter speed skate and bronze in the women's mass start event in Beijing four years ago. The 2026 Winter Olympics are shaping up to be a memorable one for Italy, with the country leading the medal count with three as of 2 p.m. ET. Sweden and Norway each have two medals, and Canada and Switzerland have one medal each. Team USA is still waiting for its first medal of the games.
