Speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida won an emotional first gold medal for host nation Italy on her 35th birthday at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday.

Lollobrigida secured the title by smashing the Olympic record in the women's 3,000 metres event, clocking 3min 54.28sec at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.

Once her victory was confirmed when the last two racers failed to better her time, the Italian sprinted off the ice to gather her young son Tommaso in her arms after a volunteer had sprinted the length of the arena to deliver him to her.

Silver went to Ragne Wiklund of Norway and Canada's Valerie Maltais took bronze.

Her gold was Italy's third medal of the Games, after men's downhill skiers Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris won silver and bronze respectively earlier on Saturday. (AFP)