MILAN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Italian speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida said she drew inspiration from compatriot and alpine ski racer Federica Brignone as she dazzled on home ice to clinch gold in the women's 5,000 metres at the Winter Olympics on Thursday.
Fresh from her victory in the 3,000m on her 35th birthday on Saturday, Lollobrigida clocked six minutes 46.17 seconds to edge Dutchwoman Merel Conijn by just 0.10 seconds and claim her second gold medal of the Games.
Lollobrigida set out at a strong pace before visibly battling fatigue as the gruelling distance wore on. Yet it was in the final lap that the great-niece of late film icon Gina Lollobrigida summoned her last reserves of strength, as the roaring crowd watched in awe.
"Brignone gave me a boost," Lollobrigida told Sky Italia. "She showed that even when someone tells you it's impossible, only you can decide if it's possible.
"So when they say, 'You won't come back, it can't be done' ... I'm a bit sorry about some people's negative opinions."
Brignone, also 35, overcame a career-threatening crash in April, when multiple fractures and a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament cast doubt on her Olympic hopes.
She produced one of her greatest runs on a foggy Olympia delle Tofane piste to take super-G gold just hours before Lollobrigida took to the ice - a performance that provided an emotional lift for Lollobrigida.
Lollobrigida, who won silver in the 3,000m and bronze in the mass start at Beijing 2022, returned to competition only four months after giving birth to her son, Tommaso, in May 2023.
"What I like, beyond touching people's hearts ... is that so many mothers write to me," Lollobrigida said. "It was a choice, and only we can decide if it can be done."
She now turns her attention to the 1,500m and the mass start, where she hopes to keep the momentum alive.
"Don't expect medals in the 1,500m, I'm telling you," she added. "But cheer me on ... anything can happen. I want to have fun, and I still want to get the Italian public excited."
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Milan; Editing by Alison Williams)
