Speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida has won host Italy's first gold medal of the Milan Cortina Games, taking the women's 3000 metres in an Olympic record time.
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With fans rising to their feet and roaring for her as she competed on her 35th birthday, Lollobrigida finished in 3 minutes, 54.28 seconds, more than two seconds ahead of runner-up Ragne Wiklund of Norway.
Canada's Valerie Maltais was third.
Lollobrigida is from Frascati, a hill town just outside Rome well-known for its white wine, and her great aunt was the late Gina Lollobrigida, a star actress of the 1950s and '60s.
This was her fourth Olympics and her first gold - also the first by an Italian woman in speedskating.
She collected two medals at Beijing four years ago: a silver in the 3,000 and a bronze in the mass start before giving birth to her son, now aged two.
Her time was more than 2 1/2 seconds faster than the Olympic mark set by Irene Schouten when she claimed the 3,000 gold at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Australian Associated Press
