Italian skater Francesca Lollobrigida will start the women’s 3000 meters long track speed skating event at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, coinciding with her 35th birthday as she pursues her first Olympic medal in this discipline.
According to ISU Skating, Lollobrigida, a seasoned athlete who previously won silver in this distance during the Beijing 2022 Olympics, is competing on home ice against notable rivals such as Joy Beune of the Netherlands and Ragne Wiklund of Norway. Lollobrigida initially focused on the Mass Start event but has expanded her skills to classical distances over time.
Lollobrigida’s career includes a silver and a bronze at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games and carrying the Italian flag at the closing ceremony before taking maternity leave. She gave birth in May 2023 and returned to competition in September of the same year, determined to balance motherhood with her Olympic ambitions. Last season, she achieved her first World Championship title by winning the 5000 meters in Hamar, Norway.
Lollobrigida’s main challengers include Joy Beune, who will compete in the 3000 meters as her sole individual event at the Games after not qualifying for her preferred 1500 meters distance. Beune, despite strong performances in the World Cup season, will also compete in the Team Pursuit event. Ragne Wiklund, a consistent long-distance competitor, recently secured her fourth consecutive long-distance World Cup trophy and is considered a formidable opponent.
Additional contenders for medals include Canadian skaters Isabelle Weidemann and Valérie Maltais, as well as Dutch skaters Merel Conijn and Marijke Groenewoud. Martina Sáblíková from the Czech Republic, a veteran with multiple Olympic medals, is also competing and holds the world record for the 3000 meters distance.
The competition format features 20 skaters across 13 delegations, with the event taking place at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. Pairings begin with Merel Conijn racing Laura Hall of Canada, and favorites skating mostly after the ice is resurfaced mid-competition. The final pairs include top competitors such as Samson Lollobrigida and Valérie Maltais, with the event scheduled to start at 16:00 local time.
Key records relevant to the event are the world record of 3:52.02 set by Martina Sáblíková, the Olympic record of 3:56.93 held by Irene Schouten, and the track record of 4:13.08 set by Kristina Shumekova.
