Italian freeskiers race through flurries to grab more medals for the Olympic host country

LIVIGNO, Italy — Snowflakes fell on a pair of celebratory red-white-and-green Italian flags on Saturday after the men's skicross final at the Olympics.

Freeskiers Simone Deromedis and Federico Tomasoni added to the Olympic host country's medal haul with a 1-2 finish in the Italian Alps on the penultimate day of the Milan Cortina Games.

Deromedis dominated the four-skier final to win gold while Tomasoni needed a photo-finish to claim silver. They both celebrated with Italian flags draped over their shoulders as the snow dropped from the sky.

Deromedis gave Italy its 10th gold medal of the Milan Cortina Olympics, while he and Tomasoni took Italy's overall haul to 29, which by Saturday afternoon was the third most among all competing nations behind leader Norway and the United States.

''An Olympic medal is the best we can wish for us and our supporters,'' the 25-year-old Deromedis said. ''We could hear people cheering for us and that helped push us forward. For our legs and our minds, we have been lucky being at home.''

Italy's freeskiers and snowboarders have done their part by delivering six of those medals in Livigno.

The big air bronze won by Flora Tabanelli on Monday was Italy's first medal in freeskiing since it was introduced to the Winter Olympics at the 1992 Albertville Games. Deromedis has now earned Italy its first freeski gold.

The real action was for second and third place. Tomasoni stretched to barely beat Alex Fiva of Switzerland to the finish line.

''Dreams do come true,'' Tomasoni said. ''I think that few expected two medals because there are so few of us but from now on it is going to be booming.''

Fiva added the bronze medal to his silver from the 2022 Beijing Games. Satoshi Furuno of Japan missed the podium finishing fourth.

A winter wonderland makes for tough racing

Livigno, where freeski and snowboarding events are being held, has ensured that the 2026 Games have a true wintry atmosphere. Snowstorms that have dumped lots of the white stuff on this mountain valley near the Swiss border have caused the reshuffling of events this week.

Deromedis, the 2023 world champion, handled the conditions with aplomb. After advancing through the knockout rounds, he took an early lead in the final and stayed well in front of his other three racers to the finish line.

But Fiva, the 40-year-old bronze medalist, called the conditions among the worst he has raced in in his long career.

''It was crazy. The first round was slow and it just got slower and slower,'' Fiva said. "I think it was my toughest race ever. My legs were burning after the first round ... I feel my age now.''

Defending champion Ryan Regez was eliminated in the semifinals after he was yellow-carded for impeding another skier.

On Friday, Daniela Maier of Germany won gold in women's skicross ahead of Swiss freeskier Fanny Smith.