LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Italy's Simone Deromedis took gold in men's ski cross, sliding across the finish line just ahead of teammate Federico Tomasoni, to the delight of a home crowd that cheered through steady snow at the Milano Cortina Games on Saturday.
Alex Fiva of Switzerland, who won silver four years ago, took bronze this time in the Alpine town of Livigno.
The Italian-heavy audience erupted into jubilation as Deromedis and Tomasoni sprinted at the race's end to claim the top two podium spots. The two men collapsed on their backs to catch their breath in the snow.
At the medal ceremony, Deromedis jumped onto the podium, smiled widely and hugged his teammate. Tomasoni kissed his medal and looked to the sky as spectators waved red, white and green Italian flags.
PUSHED ON BY CROWD'S WHISTLES AND HORNS
"Madness," the 25-year-old Deromedis said when asked to describe his achievement. He said the Italian teammates were buoyed by the home crowd.
"When we rounded the last bend we heard the whistles, we heard the horns, and it gave us that extra push," Deromedis said. "At that point your legs don't help you any more, you just have to go with your head. So it's fantastic, it's the best."
Tomasoni said he had been visualizing the two Italians standing on the podium for a few weeks. "The two of us did it," he said.
The medals carried extra weight for Tomasoni, who skied with a sun drawn on his helmet in memory of his late girlfriend, Alpine skier Matilde Lorenzi, who died in a 2024 training accident.
"Wearing it ... on my helmet was just that little extra," he said.
DEFENDING CHAMPION DISQUALIFIED
Ski cross features high-speed races between four riders who slide down a 1.5 km course filled with bumps, jumps and turns. The sport is known for being unpredictable with competitors often knocking into each other and crashing.
The steady snow limited visibility and slowed skiers on the winding race course. Fiva said the conditions forced him to press harder on his skis in what he called "my toughest race ever".
"My legs were burning after the first round. I feel my age now even more," the 40-year-old said.
Defending gold medallist Ryan Regez of Switzerland was disqualified in the semi-finals when judges ruled he interfered with Japan's Satoshi Furuno.
Daniela Maier of Germany claimed the gold medal in the women's ski cross on Friday.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Alison Williams and Ken Ferris)
