Francesca Lollobrigida hugs her son after winning Italy's first gold of the Milan Olympics

MILAN (AP) — Finally an Olympic champion on the day she turned 35, Italian speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida couldn't wait to run over to hug her 2 1/2-year-old son, Tommaso, after winning the women’s 3,000 meters at the Milan Cortina Games on Saturday.

She was just a tad disappointed she wasn't allowed to carry him to the top step of the podium when she went to collect her prize after clocking an Olympics-record 3 minutes, 54.28 seconds, more than two seconds ahead of runner-up Ragne Wiklund of Norway. Valerie Maltais of Canada was third.

It was important to Lollobrigida — yes, if that last name sounds familiar, it's because her great aunt was the late actress Gina — to claim that medal, of course, particularly after a tough season in which she struggled with a virus. It also was significant to hear the on-their-feet spectators' roars as she earned the host country's first gold of these Olympics and Italy's first gold in women's speedskating at any Winter Games.

What meant the most, she said between peals of excited laughter and occasional coughs Saturday, was that she could do it with her child in the arena.

“Aside from doing this for me, I did it for him, so one day he will be proud of me,” Lollobrigida said. “Not just for being an Olympic champion, but because of the full journey we’ve lived together.”

Plus, she explained: “This was to show the people that you can be a mom and come back to be much stronger.”

Later, she described the months of dealing with an illness, which she thought might have been picked up by Tommaso at kindergarten, as giving her a “black mind” and contributing to her “crying after every race.”

“In the beginning of the season, I really wanted to give up,” Lollobrigida said. “But then the people who really believed in me said, ‘No, you really need to fight.’”

She collected two medals at Beijing four years ago: a silver in the 3,000 and a bronze in the mass start. Those were celebrated with a tattoo on her right arm, and a ring and necklace with Olympic symbols.

This time, she said afterward, she would have been satisfied with another bronze.

On Saturday, as one might expect, she was greeted by a big cheer during the introductions before her heat, and Lollobrigida responded with a big smile and a big wave with both arms overhead, before covering her chest with her hands.

“Finally, the fans were on our side,” Italian coach Maurizio Marchetto said with a smile. “Usually, they’re supporting the Dutch,” a country in which speedskating is a passion.

Racing with Maltais, Lollobrigida trailed at the first checkpoint. But the Italian kept gaining ground and, perhaps boosted by the loud support from her countrymen in the seats, surged on the final lap, arms swinging behind her.

“It was a competition at home (for her),” Maltais said, “and I was expecting her to do something strong.”

How fast was Lollobrigida? Her time was not only much better than anyone else on the ice Saturday, it was more than 2 1/2 seconds faster than the Olympic mark set by Irene Schouten when she claimed the 3,000 gold at the 2022 Beijing Games.

There were four more skaters left to go after Lollobrigida was done. One was Wiklund, who saw Lollobrigida's performance and would say later, “I thought, ‘Wow.’"

Said Lollobrigida: “Imagine my reaction when I read the time.”

As Lollobrigida waited to find out if that time would stand up, she actually didn’t want to watch much, frequently covering her eyes with her hands.

Lollobrigida is from Frascati, a hill town just outside Rome well-known for its white wine, and was participating in her fourth Olympics.

She grew up aware of the fame of Gina Lollobrigida, a star movie actress of the 1950s and '60s. And the skater wanted to make a name for herself.

“She would really be proud of (me),” Francesca said. “She was just a diva, but I’m trying, in my little world, to be a diva in sports.”

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates with her son Tommaso after winning the gold medal in the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Gold medallist Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates with the Italian flag after the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates with her gold medal on the podium of the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates with her son Tommaso after winning the gold medal in the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy, center and gold medal celebrates with Ragne Wiklund of Norway, left and silver medal, and Valerie Maltais of Canada, right and bronze medal, on the podium of the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Italy's Francesca Lollobrigida competes in the speedskating women's 3,000 meters on her way to setting a new Olympic record and winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates with her gold medal on the podium of the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Gold medallist Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates with the Italian flag after the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy, left, and Canada's Valerie Maltais, right, compete in the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy competes in the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy reacts after competing in the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates after competing in the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Gold medallist Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates with the Italian flag after the women's 3,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

BANGKOK (AP) — Voters in Thailand went to the polls Sunday in an early general election seen as a three-way race among competing visions of progressive, populist and old-fashioned patronage politics.

The battle for support from 53 million registered voters comes against a backdrop of slow economic growth and heightened nationalist sentiment. While more than 50 parties are contesting the polls, only three — the People’s Party, Bhumjaithai, and Pheu Thai — have the nationwide organization and popularity to gain a winning mandate.

A simple majority of the 500 elected lawmakers selects the next prime minister.

Local polls consistently project that no single party will gain a majority, necessitating the formation of a coalition government.

Although the progressive People’s Party is seen as favored to win a plurality, its reformist politics aren't shared by its leading rivals, which may freeze it out by joining forces to form a government.

The People’s Party, led by Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, is the successor to the Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in the House of Representatives in 2023, but was blocked from forming a government by conservative lawmakers and then forced to dissolve.

"I think we will get the mandate from the people, and we promised the people that we will form the people’s government to bring policies that benefit all, not a few in the country,” Natthaphong told reporters after casting his ballot in Bangkok soon after the polls opened at 8 a.m.

His party's platform continues to promise sweeping reforms of the military, police and judiciary, appealing to youth and urban voters. Legal constraints have led it to set aside demands for reform of a law that metes out harsh penalties for criticism of the monarchy, while putting new emphasis on economic issues.

Softening its politics risks weakening its core support, already at risk because the last election had positioned it squarely as the alternative to nine previous years of military-led government, a situation it can't fruitfully exploit this time.

At the same time, its positions critical of the military can be a political liability with the surge of patriotism that emerged during last year’s border clashes with Cambodia, said Napon Jatusripitak, director of the Center for Politics and Geopolitics at Thailand Future, a Bangkok-based think tank.

The Bhumjaithai Party, headed by incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, is seen as the main defender and preferred choice of the royalist-military establishment.

Anutin has been prime minister only since last September, after serving in the Cabinet of his immediate predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was forced out of office for an ethics violation regarding mishandling relations with Cambodia. He dissolved parliament in December to call a new election after he was threatened with a no-confidence vote.

Subsequent border clashes with Cambodia allowed Anutin to recast himself as a wartime leader after his popularity initially slipped because of floods and financial scandals. His campaign focuses on national security and economic stimulus.

“We have done everything that we had to, but we cannot force the mind of the people. We can only present ourselves, and hope that the people will have faith in us,” Anutin said after casting ballots in northeastern Buriram province, his party's stronghold.

Bhumjaithai, seen as the likeliest party to form the next government, benefits from an electoral strategy employing old-style patronage politics and a machine skilled at grassroots organizing in the vote-rich northeast.

The Pheu Thai Party is the latest political vehicle for billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin-backed parties staged repeated electoral comebacks, only to be ousted by conservative-leaning courts and state watchdog agencies.

It softened its politics enough by the 2023 election to be returned to power after being judged by the previously hostile royalist-military establishment as an acceptable alternative to the more progressive Move Forward party.

The conservative court system rounded on it anyway — ousting two of its prime ministers over two years and ordering Thaksin imprisoned on old charges. The party now campaigns on economic revival and populist pledges like cash handouts, nominating Thaksin’s nephew, Yodchanan Wongsawat, as its lead candidate for prime minister.

"I’m excited, because I think today will be another busy day for the country’s democracy,” Yodchanan told reporters after voting.

Sunday’s voting includes a referendum asking voters whether Thailand should replace its 2017 military-drafted constitution.

The vote isn't on a proposed draft, but rather to decide whether to authorize parliament to begin a formal drafting process, which would require many further steps before coming to fruition.

Pro-democracy groups view a new charter as a critical step toward reducing the influence of unelected institutions such as the military and judiciary, while conservatives warn that it could cause instability.

CORRECTS DATE TO 8, NOT 7 - Police officers and volunteers seal a ballot box at voting station before starting of Thailand's general election in Bangkok, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)

CORRECTS DATE TO 8, NOT 7 - Police officers prepare for the general election at a voting station in Bangkok, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)

CORRECTS DATE TO 8, NOT 7 - Police officers and election volunteers prepare for the general election at a voting station in Bangkok, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)

CORRECTS DATE TO 8, NOT 7 - A voter casts his ballot at a polling station during general election in Bangkok, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

CORRECTS DATE TO 8, NOT 7 - Voters look at candidates listed on a display board before entering a voting station for the general election in Bangkok, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)

Police officers and volunteers prepare at a voting station for the general election in Bangkok, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)

Volunteers check equipment and prepare ballot boxes for Sunday's general election in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

A volunteer checks ballots for Sunday's general election in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Police officers and Volunteers check ballots for Sunday's general election in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)