Italy's Lollobrigida completes Olympic speed skating double, Weidemann 5th in 5,000m

Italian speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida, the reigning women’s world champion over 5,000 metres, added an Olympic gold medal on Thursday after winning the 3,000 Saturday for her country's first gold medal in Milan on her 35th birthday.

Lollobrigida, who finished the World Cup season ninth in the long distance world rankings, reached the line in six minutes, 46.17 seconds, 10-100ths ahead of Dutch opponent Merel Conijn. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund (6:46.34) took bronze at Milano Speed Skating Stadium.

Isabelle Weidemann of Ottawa was unable to repeat or improve her silver-medal performance from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, finishing fifth in a season-best 6:50.08, 3-100ths faster than her silver effort on Dec. 5 at a World Cup stop in Heerenveen, Netherlands.

The 30-year-old was also fifth in the women's 3,000 on Saturday after taking bronze in the event four years ago in China.

Lollobrigida is from Frascati, a hill town just outside Rome known for its white wine, and her great aunt was the late Gina Lollobrigida, a film start of the 1950s and '60s.

Also competing Thursday was Czech great Martina Sablikova, who has three gold among her seven Olympic medals.

Sablikova pulled out of the 3,000 because of a viral infection and had said she would be able to skate on Thursday but did not expect to contend. The 38-year-old was 11th of 12 finishers in 7:07.08, nearly 21 seconds behind Lollobrigida.

Weidemann's silver two months ago in Heerenveen was her first individual distance medal in 13 months. A week later, she added silver in the 3,000 in Hamar, Norway.

Laura Hall of Salmon Arm, B.C., placed ninth in 7:02.90.

A few hours earlier, moguls skier Mikaël Kingsbury and snowboarder Éliot Grondin captured silver for Canada’s fifth