OLYMPICS: Italy sets Winter Games record on medal‑heavy day

Italy set a national Winter Olympics record on Sunday as Federica Brignone's giant slalom gold capped a four‑medal surge that lifted the host nation’s tally to 22.

With the Dolomites' peaks sparkling under bright sunshine, in Cortina, Brignone added the giant slalom title to the super-G she won last Thursday.

Shortly before that in Val di Fiemme, veteran Federico Pellegrino led Italy to bronze in the men's 4x7.5km cross‑country relay, edging Finland in the anchor leg to end a 20‑year medal drought in the event.

Italy's third medal came on the slopes of Livigno, where Michela Moioli and Lorenzo Sommariva captured silver in the mixed team snowboard cross.

Meanwhile, in Anterselva/Antholz, biathlete Lisa Vittozzi powered to gold in the 10km women's pursuit at the country's spiritual home of biathlon.

"Hardly had we finished celebrating the alpine skiing gold when two more Italian masterstrokes arrived: silver in the mixed team snowboard cross with Michela Moioli and Lorenzo Sommariva — a result that allows us to surpass the historic Lillehammer medal record — and gold in biathlon with Lisa Vittozzi," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a post on X.

"Magnificent," she added.

Italy's total of 22 medals — comprising eight gold, four silver and 10 bronze — marks the highest Winter Olympic tally in the country's history, surpassing the previous record of 20 set at Lillehammer in 1994.

Italy trails only Norway's 26 medals in the overall table and is followed by the United States with 17.

At the Lillehammer Olympics, the Azzurri finished with seven gold medals.

-Reporting by Valentina Za and Elvira Pollina;Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters