Speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida has given host nation Italy its first gold medal of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, winning the women’s 3,000 metres in Olympic-record time on Saturday.
Racing in Milan on her 35th birthday, Lollobrigida finished in 3 minutes 54.28 seconds, more than two seconds ahead of Norway’s Ragne Wiklund in second place. Canada’s Valerie Maltais took the bronze.
The home crowd rose to its feet as Lollobrigida completed her final laps, roaring her on as she pulled clear of the field. When her time appeared on the scoreboard as a new Olympic record, she celebrated on the ice with the Italian flag.
Lollobrigida, from the hill town of Frascati just outside Rome, is competing at her fourth Olympics. She won two medals at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games – silver in the 3,000 metres and bronze in the mass start – but had never taken gold until now. She is also the great-niece of the late Gina Lollobrigida, one of Italy’s best-known film stars of the 1950s and 1960s.
The result marks an early highlight for Italy at its home Games and confirms Lollobrigida as one of the leading names in long-distance speed skating, finally adding an Olympic title to a career already rich in major medals.
The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are being held across Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo and other venues in northern Italy. The Games bring together athletes from around the world to compete in ice and snow sports including skiing, skating, ice hockey, curling and sliding events, and mark Italy’s return as Winter Games host after Cortina 1956 and Turin 2006.
Georgia and Uzbekistan are aiming to nearly quadruple annual trade to $1 billion, up from $267.6 million in 2025, as the two countries seek to stre...
Iran has warned against the military use of Starlink, saying it has developed domestic technology capable of countering cyber threats linked to the...
Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of blaming Kabul for its domestic political and security problems, as Islamabad repeated claims that militants are...
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
An explosion and fire have been reported at a major underground gas pipeline in Russia’s Penza region on 13 October, according to UA News, as cited by Azerbaijan’s APA news agency. The reports have not been independently verified.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined high school students protesting outside a school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Tuesday, as a wave of student demonstrations continues across France.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a newly opened defence museum displaying weapons developed under his leadership, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are set to discuss measures to tackle transboundary haze during preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN summit in November, as forest and land fires in Indonesia continue to affect air quality across the region, the Philippines said on Tuesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment