WATCH: Gold-medalist’s young son steals the show at Winter Olympics
On her 35th birthday, Italian speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida, whose great aunt is legendary Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, won the gold medal in the women’s 3,000 meters race, setting a new Olympic record at the Winter Games in Milan, Italy.
But it wasn’t just the athlete who overcame a virus to score worldwide acclaim Saturday. It was her 2-and-1/2-year-old son Tommaso who stole the show during a post-race interview.
The young boy is shown lovingly playing with his mother’s face, interrupting her at times as he smacked the reporter’s microphone.
So sweet. Italian skater Francesca Lollobrigida wins gold at the Olympics, holding her baby son while celebrating.
“The message I want to show is I didn’t choose between a family, being a mom (and being a speed skater),” per NYT
Motherhood is always a blessing pic.twitter.com/fU7Do9nTOg
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) February 8, 2026
“This was to show the people that you can be a mom and come back to be much stronger,” Lollobrigida told the Associated Press.
The New York Times reported: “After she won and clinched the record, she ran through the tunnel to grab Tommaso in a scene that immediately went viral. The flag was still draped around her shoulders. Not Superman. Super mom.”
Italian athlete Francesca Lollobrigida drops everything right after breaking an Olympic world record and rushes to hug her son in celebration
She understands that she may be an athlete, but first and foremost she is a mother pic.twitter.com/Y8EIFTlmif
— Daily Romania (@daily_romania) February 8, 2026
“It’s not that easy to combine being a skater and a mom,” said Lollobrigida, who estimated she’s away from home roughly 250 days a year. “This (medal) is for myself, the people who believed in me, and the people who said, ‘Maybe she can’t do it, you know?’ They gave me the power to prove myself.”
Francesca Lollobrigida won Olympic gold at 35. Her first as a mother.
Motherhood didn’t slow her down.
It gave her wings pic.twitter.com/fPfhlvmWwM— Tanya Tay Posobiec (@realTanyaTay) February 8, 2026
“The message I want to show is I didn’t choose between a family, being a mom (and being a speed skater),” Lollobrigida said. “I stopped (competed) right after my medals (a silver and a bronze) in Beijing. I was really on top of the world, you know? I was brave, so I’m really proud of myself.”
Francesca Lollobrigida, who has just won Italy’s 1st at Olympics is the great-niece of Gina Lollobrigida, the legendary Italian actress pic.twitter.com/lTvnjZRSZ2
— Harry Wallop (@hwallop) February 7, 2026
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