Italy is having its best Winter Olympics of all time at a pace that crushes its 1994 medal count

MILAN (AP) — It’s official: Host nation Italy is having its best Winter Olympics of all time.

Italy picked up four medals in quick succession on Sunday — two golds, a silver and a bronze — to reach 22 and surpass its previous best medal haul of 20, set more than 30 years ago at the Lillehammer Games in 1994.

And there are still seven days left of competition at the Milan Cortina Games.

Italy's cross-country team set the day off with bronze in the men's 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay, and then came a flurry of three medals in less than an hour.

Federica Brignone won an incredible second gold medal with a victory in the giant slalom, barely a month after returning to racing following a horrific injury last year.

Half an hour later, Michela Moioli and Lorenzo Sommariva finished second in the mixed team snowboard cross to pick up Italy’s 21st medal. Shortly after that, Lisa Vittozzi won gold in the 10-kilometer pursuit biathlon race.

“We are witnessing something historic, for our talented and extraordinary athletes,” local organizing committee president Giovanni Malagò said. "But this success makes us so happy also because we are reaping the fruits of years and years of hard work.”

The total is more than the target of 19 medals set by Italian Olympic Committee president Luciano Buonfiglio before the Games began.

The breakdown so far? Eight gold medals, four silver and 10 bronze.

In Lillehammer, Italy finished fourth in the final medal table — behind Russia, host nation Norway and Germany. At Milan Cortina, the Italians have consistently been in the top two, trailing Norway (24 medals) early on Sunday.

At the last Winter Olympics, in Beijing, Italy won 17 medals. It fared worse the last time it hosted the Games, collecting 11 in Turin in 2006.

The signs that Italy could do something special at its home games were there right from Day 3, when it had a record-breaking day on home snow and ice with a haul of six medals, the most the nation had ever won in a single day at the Winter Olympics.

“What an incredible day: Six medals in 24 hours at the Winter Olympics will go down in history,” Malagò said. “And what’s also incredible is the multidisciplinary nature of the medals. We have become a country that is capable of being competitive in sports where we have never been.

“That is fundamental in the Olympic program and in the final medal table. … I have always been of the opinion that the strength of a country can be seen in how many medals in different sports you manage to earn, not necessarily the number of golds.”

The stories behind some of the medals have added to the feel-good moment sweeping the country.

The 35-year-old Brignone skied through the pain to win gold in the women’s super-G on Thursday, following a year spent largely in rehab after breaking multiple bones in her leg.

Arianna Fontana, the most decorated short track speedskater of all time, won her 12th and 13th medals, equaling fencer Edoardo Mangiarotti’s record for most Olympic medals by an Italian athlete — a mark that has stood since 1960.

“We’re getting to see the Italian team do incredibly well. … I’ve been very fortunate to have gotten to witness Federica’s and Arianna’s golds, which were just incredible,” International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said on Friday. “Their stories of resilience and fight and everything good in humanity was really showcased.

“Both athletes I have so much respect for … Arianna is now the most decorated Italian athlete, summer or winter Olympian. And to do that at home, it’s so cool. I’m so excited for her. And you could feel in the stadium yesterday, last night, just the passion and the love and the respect.”

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Italy's Federica Brignone shows the gold medal of an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, as she celebrates with teammates at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Davide Graz, Elia Barp, Martino Carollo and Federico Pellegrino, of Italy, pose after winning the bronze medal in the cross country skiing men's 4 x 7.5km relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

From left, silver medalists Italy's Michela Moioli and Lorenzo Sommariva, gold medalists Britain's Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale, and bronze medalists France's Lea Casta and Loan Bozzolo celebrate after the mixed team snowboard cross finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Lisa Vittozzi, of Italy, crosses the finish line to win gold during the women's 10-kilometer pursuit biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Italy's Federica Brignone, center, celebrates with members of the Italian team after winning the gold medal in an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

ZIANO DI FIEMME, Italy (AP) — Emma Wilson had barely clipped into cross-country ski bindings for the first time in her life when an Olympic athlete breezed past.

She knew it would be a day she would never forget.

“When we saw the first one we were like, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s an Olympian! It’s an Olympian!’” Wilson said.

On a stretch of the famed Marcialonga track, cross-country skiing fans, amateur athletes and even beginners have been thrilled to find they are sharing the public trail with the best skiers in the world. Olympians are using the track to train, warm up or travel between the Olympic Village in Predazzo and the cross-country ski stadium in Tesero.

The 70-kilometer (40-mile) trail known for its annual ski marathon runs through Val di Fiemme, home to cross-country skiing, Nordic combined and ski jumping events that are spread across a swath of northern Italy at the Milan Cortina Games.

The trail along the tumbling Avisio River offers views of the extraordinary and ordinary beneath the steeple-like Dolomites.

Snowcapped peaks rise into the clouds, skis slicing through snow drown out the rushing river while skiers pass lumber yards and aromatic dairy farms that bring an authentic charm to a region that still thrives on ancient industry.

Stjepan Balog, a Croatian sports journalist who has covered Olympics and World Cup competitions from the sidelines, had set out to give the sport a try and get some fresh air and was surprised to practically be on the field of play with athletes.

“It’s a really amazing experience because I never in my life had this honor,” Balog said. “Now I can see what real sportsmen are and what really cross-country skiing is when I compare my skills and their skills.”

It would be like showing up to kick the soccer ball around with a few friends and finding Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the pitch.

The Olympians — identifiable by their national garb or wearing vests with the Olympic rings that say “athlete” — blaze past at a conversational pace with teammates or competitors. U.S. star Rosie Brennan, who just missed the podium in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, was among the better known of those seen on the trail.

Matt Smith, a South African in his first Olympics, has basked in the warm welcome he's received, even if requests for photos and autographs have interrupted the rhythm of his warmups and cooldowns.

“I’m very grateful. I get stopped, I’m signing signatures,” he said. “I feel like (Johannes Hoesflot) Klaebo. It feels like a rock star really.”

Smith said that too often skiers pass each other without giving much thought to one another.

“It's nice that the culture is to meet and greet as you go,” he said, shouting “buongiorno” and “ciao” to a passing skier.

Lena Furehed of Sweden, who has skied the Marcialonga race 12 times, said she was inspired by the flawless form of the pros, whom she has cheered on as they passed her.

“I said to my daughter, ‘Look and watch and try to do as they do,’” she said.

Cross-country skiing is an easy sport to pick up but takes time to master. The coordination and balance required can make for some ungraceful moments.

Wilson and three Australian friends who decided to try the sport between watching competitions found their lighthearted jaunt quickly turned to an effort to stay upright, avoid a collision with an athlete and not embarrass themselves too much.

Only one of them had skied before and by the first hill, Wilson was on her butt and Hannah McAdam was on her knees and they were all engulfed in giggles. Even the trio of Olympians who effortlessly glided past had a laugh.

The Aussies agreed it was the highlight of their day.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Australians from left, Emma Wilson,Hannah McAdam, Saskia Moon and Kaitlyn Rozic stop while skiing on the Marcialonga trail, during the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Melley)

Olympic cross-country skiers from Thailand ski along the Marcialonga trail, during the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Ziano di Fiemme, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Melley)

A cross-country skiing athlete from Sweden skis through the village of Ziano di Fiemme during a non-competition day at the 2026 Winter Olympics, near the course in Tesero, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Cross-country skiing athletes from Armenia ski through the village of Ziano di Fiemme during a non-competition day at the 2026 Winter Olympics, near the course in Tesero, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

A cross-country skiing athlete from Italy skis through the village of Ziano di Fiemme during a non-competition day at the 2026 Winter Olympics, near the course in Tesero, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)