Host Italy claimed gold and silver in the ski cross on the final day of freestyle skiing at the Olympics on Saturday, while the United States claimed the aerials mixed team title for the second consecutive year.
There were wild celebrations as former world champion Simone Deromedis won gold in ski cross and Federico Tomasoni won silver, Italy’s first medals in the sport at the Olympics.
advertise
Alex Fiva of Switzerland added a bronze medal to his silver medal from 2022.
Dromedis calls his success “crazy,” but admits it’s still something to come to terms with. “Right now, I feel like I just won a game.”
He promised to “open the bar for everyone” that day – following German women’s champion Daniela Maier who was craving “a few liters of Aperol” the day before.
2022 gold medalist Ryan Regaz of Switzerland missed the final after being disqualified for impeding German skier Tim Hronek, who lost his chance to reach the final and finished sixth.
advertise
Previously, 2022 team member Chris Lillis, along with Kaila Kuhn and Connor Curren, won the trapeze gold medal for Team USA with a final score of 325.35 points.
Switzerland took the silver medal by a wide margin with a score of 296.91. The Chinese team won the bronze medal with individual competition champions Xu Mengtao and Wang Xindi with a score of 279.68.
Lillis made up for a disappointing individual result, finishing eighth, and said the team event was a very different story, having also won world titles in 2023 and 2025.
“The only thing I have to say about the team competition is we absolutely cannot lose. It’s impossible,” he said.
advertise
“What makes Team USA so special is that we live and jump for each other, and I think that’s something a lot of teams in an individual sport struggle with. Connor is like a little brother to me, Kayla, and also, like family, we jump for each other.”
The mixed team consists of two men and one woman. The top four of the seven teams in the first round will compete in the final round, with Australia’s fourth-place team missing out on a medal.
The remaining freestyle medal events are the women’s halfpipe later Saturday.
Champion Simone Deromedis and runner-up Federico Tomasoni of Italy and third-place Alex Fiva of Switzerland celebrate during the medal ceremony after the men’s cross-country skiing final at the Livigno Ice Park during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Milan. Oliver Werken/dpa
Switzerland’s Alex Fiva celebrates winning the bronze medal during the awards ceremony after the men’s cross-country skiing final at Livigno Ski Park during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Milan. Oliver Werken/dpa
Italy’s Federico Tomasoni becomes emotional during the medal ceremony and holds up his silver medal after the men’s ski cross final at Livigno Snow Park during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Milan. Oliver Werken/dpa
