Francesca Lollobrigida

Francesca Lollobrigida (Frascati, 7 February 1991) is an Italian speed skater, considered one of the most important athletes in the history of Italian winter sports. An athlete of the Italian Air Force with the rank of Primo Aviere Scelto (Senior Airman), she reached the peak of her career during the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, entering the legend of national sport.

Origins, family, and the weight of a surname

Born in Frascati and raised in Rome, Francesca comes from a sporting family: her father, Maurizio Lollobrigida, was a multiple medalist and record holder in roller skating, as well as her technical mentor. Her surname is inevitably linked to that of her great-aunt, the famous actress Gina Lollobrigida, of whom Francesca is a great-niece. Although at the beginning of her career this connection and the constant comparisons with the cinema diva were perceived as a burden, Francesca succeeded in turning the name “Lollobrigida” into an independent and prestigious sporting signature. She is also distantly related to Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. Francesca lives in Ladispoli, on the Lazio coast, a choice dictated by the need to balance training facilities with proximity to her family.

From roller skates to ice: the early years

Her passion for skating began extremely early: Francesca first wore skates at just 14 months old. Initially, she followed in her father’s footsteps by dedicating herself to roller skating, a discipline in which she excelled by winning as many as nine world titles. The turning point came after the Turin 2006 Olympics: inspired by the Games, she decided to switch to speed skating to pursue her Olympic dream. The path was not easy: since there were no suitable ice rinks in Rome, for years she made enormous sacrifices, regularly traveling with her father to Baselga di Piné (Trentino), the only place in Italy where she could train properly. Her father would drive seven hours to allow her to train, even “wearing out four cars” to support his daughter’s career.

International rise and first Olympics

Francesca joined the national team and took part in several editions of the Olympic Games, steadily improving her performance:
Sochi 2014: made her Olympic debut, finishing 24th in the 3000 meters.
PyeongChang 2018: improved her results, placing 7th in the Mass Start and 13th in the 3000 meters.
Beijing 2022 (breakthrough): won her first Olympic medals in China, a silver in the 3000 meters and a bronze in the Mass Start, becoming well known to the general public.
Before 2026, her achievements also included European titles (gold in the Mass Start at Kolomna 2018) and a world gold medal in the 5000 meters in Hamar in 2025.

The historic triumph at Milan-Cortina 2026

The pinnacle of her career came at the home Winter Olympic Games of Milan-Cortina 2026. Having just turned 35, Francesca achieved an unprecedented feat for Italian winter sports:
Gold in the 3000 meters: winning the gold medal on her birthday.
Gold in the 5000 meters: a few days later, on 12 February 2026, she repeated her success by winning the 5000 meters with her personal record time of 6:46.17, defeating Dutch and Norwegian competitors.
With this double victory, Lollobrigida became the first Italian athlete ever (male or female) to win two individual gold medals in the same edition of the Winter Olympics, matching the media impact of legends such as Alberto Tomba and Manuela Di Centa.

Private Life and Curiosities

Mother-Athlete: Francesca is married to Matteo Angeletti, also a skater and athletic trainer. Together they have a son, Tommaso. Her ability to return to the top of the world stage after motherhood has made her an example of sporting longevity and dedication.
Education: in addition to her sporting career, she earned a Master’s degree in Sports Science after initially studying biotechnology.
Passions: she loves reading, shopping, playing the piano, and cycling. Ironically for an ice skater, she suffers from the cold and has a fondness for fluorescent-colored hair.
Training: she divides her time between Italy and the Netherlands (where she trains about six months a year). In Rome, her “dry” training sessions or roller skating workouts often took place at the Tre Fontane track or along the streets of the EUR district.