Francesca Lollobrigida

Francesca Lollobrigida, born on February 7, 1991, in Frascati, Italy, began her skating journey at a very young age, initially focusing on inline speed skating. She entered speed skating in 2008, training in Baselga di Pinè, Italy. Her early career in inline speed skating was marked by significant success, securing 13 gold medals at world championships between 2012 and 2019. A defining moment in her career came with the decision to switch from inline to ice speed skating, reportedly inspired by US speed skater Chad Hedrick, to pursue her Olympic aspirations.

Lollobrigida’s transition to ice speed skating led to her participation in three Olympic Games, debuting at Sochi 2014. She represented Italy at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 Winter Olympics. A major turning point occurred at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where she earned a silver medal in the 3000m event and a bronze medal in the Mass Start. These achievements marked her as an Italian Olympic medalist in speed skating. She holds current Italian records in the 3000m and 5000m distances. Her accomplishments extend to European Championships, where she won a gold medal in the Mass Start in 2018 and multiple bronze medals in various distances.

In addition to her athletic achievements, Lollobrigida is an Armed Forces Athlete and possesses a Master’s degree in Sport Science from San Raffaele University of Rome. She took a break from the sport in 2022-2023 to start a family, giving birth to her son Tomasso in May 2023, and subsequently returned to competition in September 2023. She aims to compete in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. She has also served as an athlete representative for the Italian Roller Sports Federation.