VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Italian Olympic speedskating champion Francesca Lollobrigida faced backlash for bringing her energetic 2-year-old son to interviews after her gold medal wins last month. But at the Vatican on Tuesday (March 17), officials held her up as a model of motherhood and elite sport.
“Francesca’s choice is not an obvious one,” said Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, who heads the Vatican department for culture and education, during a press conference at the Vatican. “In her victory, we celebrate the victory of all men and women who say it is possible.”
Lollobrigida learned she was pregnant with her son, Tommaso, soon after winning silver and bronze medals at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. While many said she would not be able to return to the ice, she continued training after her pregnancy and while breastfeeding as she prepared to compete in the 2026 Olympic Games in Milano Cortina.
“I did not give up when they told me I would not win again — and instead, I won even more,” Lollobrigida said at the Vatican press conference.
On Feb. 7, her 35th birthday, Lollobrigida won gold in the 3,000-meter speedskating competition, setting a new Olympic record in the process. On Feb. 12, she won a second gold medal in …