Gina Lollobrigida and great-niece Francesca: From Hollywood's silver screen to Olympic silver medal

Gina Lollobrigida is a legend of the light screen who appeared with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Jennifer Jones, and Humphrey Bogart in a sparkling career during the 50's and 60's 'Golden Age of Hollywood.'

Now 94 years old, 'Lollo' as she was known has some competition in the family with her grand-niece Francesca Lollobrigida winning Italy's first medal at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Also nicknamed 'Lollo,' Francesca claimed a silver medal in the speed skating 3000m, her first Olympic medal, and delivered a dramatic and emotional win, celebrating in tears.

A performance even great-auntie would be proud of.

And Francesca is looking to have even more fun at the Beijing Games. She is celebrating her 31st birthday on Monday (7 February) hoping to bag another medal in the 1500m final.

"It's not gold but it feels like gold for me because I have a different story," Francesca Lollobrigida said after clinching silver in her opening race. "I wasn't born on ice."

Her remarkable journey to the Olympic podium began on inline skates, following her father Maurizio Lollobrigida into the sport, he's a national level skater, with multiple medals and records.

She switched to speed skating to have the chance of becoming an Olympian, inspired by U.S. speed skater Chad Hendrick, who switched from inline to ice, winning Olympic gold in the Torino 2006 5000m.

So will she be celebrating with great-aunt Gina?

Unlikely.

Asked by Italian media about her great-aunt she said:

“I have actually never met or spoken with her, because I don’t really have time to stay in touch even with my closest relatives."

Also asked if she's more famous than the other person they call 'Lollo' in the family, she said:

"More famous than her? I wouldn’t ever dare to say that."

Gina Lollobrigida films/movies

Gina Lollobrigida acted in some huge films from playing Humphrey Bogart's wife in Beat the Devil (1953), to co-starring with Burt Lancaster in Trapeze, and in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956) where she appeared as Esmeralda with Anthony Quinn as Quasimodo.

Iconic as The Fairy with Turquoise Hair in the TV series The Adventures of Pinocchio (1972), she appeared in the series Falcon Crest in a role originally written for Sophia Loren.

A winner of many awards, she was nominated three times for the Golden Globe and won it in 1961 as female World Film Favorite, and was also nominated once for a BAFTA award.

Later on Gina Lollobrigida reinvented herself as a photojournalist and even once got an exclusive interview with Cuba's Fidel Castro.

Great-aunt Gina might be a hard act to follow, but Francesca's Olympics aren't over yet and she can add to her own honour roll:

After the 1500m on Monday, Francesca Lollobrigida will then compete on 10 February in the 5,000m, before the mass start race on 19 Feb.