Reece Howden wasn’t best pleased with the weather conditions at the Livigno Snow Park for the men’s ski-cross event on Saturday. The Canadian skier was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Winter Olympics event. Howden narrowly missed out on a spot in the men’s ski cross semifinals.
The event was ultimately won by Italy’s Simone Deromedis, with compatriot Federico Tomasoni finishing in second place and Alex Fiva winning the bronze medal.
Reece Howden Blasts Livigno Course After Weather Slows Olympic Times by Seconds
After the men’s ski cross event, Howden shared his frustration over the difficult weather conditions at the Livigno Snow Park. The Italian venue faced a fierce snowstorm, which made it difficult for athletes to perform to the best of their ability.
Several events at the 2026 Winter Olympics have been postponed due to weather conditions in Italy. Howden, who has six podium finishes in the 2026 FIS World Cup season, lamented the weather conditions in an interview with Canadian broadcast CBC.
“Honestly, the weather is ridiculous. It is a joke. I bet you, I don’t know what the times are, but it’s gotta be like 10 to 15 seconds slower. Completely different course. If I waited four years for this, I’ll wait for another four because this is a joke.”
“It’s snowing so hard and it’s just the track is dead slow. This is an absolute joke. Honestly, at this point, I’m happy I’m not involved in this race because this is ridiculous. This is not ski cross, this is terrible…. Olympics is supposed to be the best of the best, the peak of our sport. I’ll wait for more years because this is an absolute joke.”
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Howden, a silver medalist at the 2023 World Championships, finished ninth at the 2022 Beijing Olympics after facing elimination in the quarterfinals. He is currently leading the FIS World Cup standings in the ski cross for the season. Men’s ski cross involves athletes navigating a slope with various artificial elements such as curves, jumps, and bumps. Four athletes compete simultaneously, adding to the event’s chaos and drama.
The men’s ski cross event featured plenty of thrills and spills amid difficult weather conditions at the Livigno Snow Park. In the end, Deromedis stormed to victory, earning Italy its 10th gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Tomasoni of Italy finished in second place to claim the silver medal, while Fiva won the bronze medal. Japan’s Satoshi Furuno came in fourth place.
