Olympics, ski cross, Italia doubles: Deromedis gold, Tomasoni silver. Giovannini bronze in mass start speed skating

"Dorothea Wierer has made biathlon history in Italy. She is a legend for everyone, but for our team she represents something unique, because if we are here today, with the attention we have, it is largely thanks to her'. This was said by the dt of the Italian national team Klaus Hoellrigl, after the last race of the South Tyrolean multiple champion, the Olympic Games mass start in Antholz. "The biathlon in Italy was struggling when Doro arrived young, then things changed. She was also one of the first to shoot very fast, she gave the sport a show,' he continued. Wierer's inheritance will not be easy, 'she both on and off the court knew how to move. However, we have other athletes who can do well and who have a great personality,' Hoellrigl continued. As for the balance of Milan Cortina, the coach said he was satisfied with Vittozzi's gold medal and the silver medal in the mixed relay, even though 'expectations were high after the last World Cup races. Biathlon is like that,' he added. Asked about the condition of Tommaso Giacomel, who withdrew from the race yesterday, Hoellrigl said, "He is fine, he is doing well, and everything else will be seen calmly.

Olimpiadi Milano Cortina 2026 - Biathlon - 12,5 km Mass Start femminile - Anterselva Biathlon Arena, Alto Adige, Italia - 21 febbraio 2026. Dorothea Wierer dell'Italia con la sua squadra dopo la 12,5 km Mass Start femminile REUTERS/Matthew Childs

No medal for Italia in the women's mass start that closed the biathlon programme at the Games in Milan Cortina. Dorothea Wierer, at the last race of her career, finished fifth after a pole position start. Two errors at the polygon in the middle phase of the mass start penalised her, but she honoured her career with a hard-fought race. Further back was Lisa Vittozzi, eighteenth after making four shooting errors. The gold medal went to France's Oceane Michelon ahead of compatriot Julia Simon. Bronze went to Czech Tereza Vobornikova, in the lead for most of the race.

The biathlon mass start began in Antholz for the Italian women's team Lisa Vittozzi (bib number 3) - who will be the flag bearer tomorrow at the closing ceremony - and Rebecca Wierer, who announced her retirement from the tasks after this race.

Patrick Baumgartner climbs up and finishes in fifth place on the first day of competition in the Olympic 4-man bobsleigh challenge on the Eugenio Monti track at the Cortina Sliding Centre: seventh after the first run, the Italian crew made up also of Lorenzo Bilotti, Eric Fantazzini and Robert Mircea was able to climb two positions in the second downhill run of the day, reaching the halfway mark with a gap of 78 hundredths of a second on the German Johannes Lochner. Already gold in the two, Lochner with 1'48"61 leads the ranking after two downhill runs with a 0"43 margin over his compatriot Franz Friedrich, while the other German Adam Ammour finds his way back up and settles in provisional third place at 0"71. Fourth is then Swiss Vogt at 0"71, with Baumgartner fifth at 0"78, who sees the podium just 19 hundredths away. Behind the Italian is the other Swiss Follador at 0"76, with Britain's Hall seventh at 0"82. Tomorrow the two final runs are scheduled, at 10.00 and 12.15 pm.

Sixth gold in as many races for Johannes Klaebo: the Norwegian won the 50 km ahead of his compatriots Martin Nyenget and Emil Iversen. The last Nordic skiing event of the men's Olympic programme at the five-circle event in Milan Cortina was without history: Norway took yet another gold, the 18th at these Winter Games. In Val di Fiemme, the 29-year-old from Oslo triumphed in the queen of the cross-country race, the 50 km, this year using the classic technique, and in the final he pulled away from his fellow countrymen. Fourth the French Theo Schely and fifth the 'independent' Russian Savelii Korostlev. Without Federico Pellegrino, who was forced to withdraw due to the flu, Italia relied on Simone Daprà, 18th, and Elia Barp, who finished just behind, 22nd.

epa12764660 Il medaglia d'oro Johannes Haesflot Klaebo dalla Norvegia festeggia dopo la gara maschile di 50 km Mass Start Classic delle competizioni di sci di fondo ai Giochi Olimpici Invernali Milano Cortina 2026, a Tesero, Italia, il 21 febbraio 2026. EPA/LISE ASERUD NORWAY OUT

The second run of the 4-man bobsleigh was stopped again due to the French crew capsizing. The four crew got up independently and walked to the finish area. The race then resumed, after a few minutes' break, to allow the Trinidad and Tobago crew to start. This quartet too, however, did not make it to the finish line. Again, however, there did not seem to be any consequences.

No trip to Italia for Donald Trump to coincide with the end of the Olympics. In the past few days it had been speculated that the US President might arrive in Italia to attend the men's hockey final if the United States had access to it, but, despite the fact that yesterday the star-studded team won the semifinal, Trump's official agenda for Saturday and Sunday does not include any stops in Italia. The schedule for today includes a series of meetings at the White House in Washington. Sunday's local morning is also scheduled at the White House for Trump.

The Olympic ski cross champion is Italian and his name is Simone Deromedis. Next to him Federico Tomasoni kisses the silver medal placed around his neck, looks up to the sky and is moved. Snow in his hair for the Azzurri who make the Inno di Mameli resound on the slopes of Livigno, which closes its Olympic adventure today and could not have hoped for a better epilogue.

With the historic Deromede-Tomasoni one-two in the men's ski cross, the Italian spoils in Milan Cortina increased and Italia's position in the medals table was consolidated.

Deromedis gold, Tomasoni silver in photo finish.

Thirty-two started and only four remained, under heavy snowfall. Three of them will medal. How many Azzurri on the podium?

"The episode that occurred during the live broadcast on Rai 2 is a serious matter, contrary to the principles of impartiality, respect and inclusion that should characterise the Public Service. Rai has therefore initiated an internal investigation aimed at opening disciplinary proceedings to ascertain any responsibility as quickly as possible. Rai's obligation is to ensure sports narration based on respect for all athletes and all delegations, without any distinction. Sport is competition, but above all it is encounter, dialogue and unity'. Thus in a note the Rai managing director, Giampaolo Rossi, after the off-screen commentary at the opening of the live broadcast of the four-man bobsleigh competition. Before the commentator introduced the competition, a voice was heard saying: 'Let's avoid crew number 21, which is that of the Israeli'

Challenging Switzerland's Alex Fiva and Japan's Furuno Satoshi will be Italy's Simone Deromedis and Federico Tomasoni, in the men's ski cross big final.

A fractured cheekbone that will require surgery, but Kamila Sellier's eye is safe, according to initial indications from mission chief Konrad Niedźwiedzki to the local press. The Polish skater fell during the 1,500 metre short track race and was carried off the track on a spinal board. The team's press officer, Katarzyna Kochaniak-Roman, said that Sellier was undergoing surgery to reopen the wound so that doctors could more accurately assess the condition of the bone. The decision was made following a CT scan that revealed a slight fracture. After the operation she is expected to remain in hospital for observation. The delegation on social media wished her a speedy recovery.

The second run of the 4-man bobsleigh being held at the Sliding Centre in Cortina was stopped twenty minutes after the Austrian crew capsized, the first to occur on the new Eugenio Monti at these Olympics. The race was interrupted to allow aid to be provided to racer Jacob Mandlbauer, who remained inside the casing while his companions exited independently. The athlete was immobilised and taken away.

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"We are confident in our ability to organise high-level Games in 2030, the map of venues is only 'pending' for 15%, we will be able to benefit from rules and procedures that draw on Paris 2024 and that will allow us to accelerate the pace of work so that we can be ready on time". Thus Edgar Grospiron, President of the French Alps 2030 Winter Olympic Games, at the press conference ahead of the closing ceremony that will mark the handover between the Games in Milan Cortina and those scheduled in four years' time in France. "Moreover, another point that we are leveraging and that makes us confident is that we will make Games along the lines of Milan Cortina. Many sites are already there and have recently organised world championships. We will revolve around universes that are already rich in experience. Then there are other sites for which it will be necessary to refine skills and organisation, but we will certainly arrive at the event with balance and on schedule. We are confident that in 2030 we will be at the highest level for this type of event,' he added. "What new sports? This is one of our basic concerns, the question must be addressed to finalise the map of competition sites that will be convolved in June by the IOC. This is work that we are doing with the national organisations and that will also allow us to make economic and financial evaluations and refine our collaboration with the IOC. We will follow their recommendations,' he concluded.

On Sunday afternoon, Canada and the United States will face off for the gold medal in men's ice hockey at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Favourite Canada managed to recover from a 2-0 disadvantage in the semifinal and beat Finland 3-2, while the United States ended Slovakia's Olympic title dreams with a 6-2 victory on Friday night.

In the final minutes of the match, Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson scored the first-half goals, while Jack Hughes scored two goals in the second half and Jack Eichel added another, giving the USA a 5-0 lead. Juraj Slafkovsky and Pavol Regenda shortened the gap for Slovakia in the third half, before Brady Tkachuk completed the scoring with his team's sixth goal.

Even in the quarter-finals, unfortunately, three Italians will have to compete against each other to reach the semifinals. Against them the Canadian Howden, one of the big favourites.

Simone Deromedis and Dominik Zuech also qualified for the quarters. Out went Edoardo Zorzi, because only the first two times in the battery passed. It was a pity about this round of 16, which pitted Italians against Italians.

"The off-airing aired before the four-man bobsleigh competition of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics on Rai 2 contains an unacceptable expression that in no way represents the values of the public service and Rai Sport. On behalf of the Directorate, I sincerely apologise to the Israeli athletes, the delegation and all viewers. Immediate internal checks have been initiated to ascertain responsibility. Sport must unite and not divide'. Thus in a note Marco Lollobrigida, acting head of Rai Sport, after the off-screen commentary in which a voice was heard during the live broadcast of the bobsleigh race in Milan Cortina 2026 saying "Let's avoid crew number 21, which is that of the Israeli".

He would have liked to close his career with the queen endurance race in cross-country, Federico Pellegrino, but since yesterday morning he has been in bed with a fever, a condition that does not allow a marathon on skis. He had planned only one symbolic lap around the circuit, at least to greet and pay homage to the fans who had come to support the Italian team, but he was not sure how the gesture would be received. So he entrusted his greeting to social media

"Federico Pellegrino, victim of a flu-like condition, will not take part today in the men's 50 km cross-country race scheduled in Lago di Tesero". This was communicated by Fisi. The Azzurri in the race will therefore be the heirs of the Valle d'Aosta veteran, Elia Barp and Simone Dapdrà.

It will not be a 'normal' 50 kilometres that will be contested today starting at 11 a.m. on the Olympic track at Lago di Tesero. The cross-country skiing super-classic, which closes the first Winter Games in Val di Fiemme in the men's field, will be the field of competition for Norwegian Johannes Klaebo, who is one step away from the legend. If he wins, he will be the first athlete to place six gold medals around his neck in as many competitions in a single Olympics. And then there is Italy's Federico Pellegrino, with two bronze medals won in the team relay and the team sprint, in his last effort at the five circles. At 36 years of age during Milan Cortina 2026, the veteran from Valle d'Aosta will once again act as a motivator for the promising cross-country skiers from Italy: Elia Barp and Simone Daprà, grandson of Franco Nones, the first Italian to win gold in the 30-kilometre race in Grenoble 1968. For the Azzurri, the goal is to stick to the tails of the favourites, so surprises are not excluded. Also in contention for the podium are France, relying on the emerging Mathis Desloges and the experience of Hugo Lapalus, and Finland with discipline specialist Iivo Niskanen. Not to be underestimated are the American Gus Schumacher and the Briton Andrew Musgrave, great interpreters of long distances.

The morning seeding closes with the first half for Canadian Howden, the big favourite. 1:06:13. Behind him the Japanese Furuno and the Swiss Regez. These are the placings of the Italians in qualification: 8th Zuech, 9th Deromedis, 17th Tomasoni, 25th Zorzi. Waiting for the round of 16, starting at noon.

Questi gli azzurri e le azzurre in gara oggi, 21 febbraio, nella penultima giornata olimpica Milano-Cortina:

10:00 - 11:00 - Livigno Snow Park Freestyle, Ski Cross U - Qualificazioni Simone DEROMEDIS, Federico TOMASONI, Edoardo ZORZI, Dominik ZUECH

Further reading

Alysa Liu, from farewell to the ice to Olympic gold in skating

20 February 2026