MILAN, Feb 15 (Reuters) - 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,

Italy has put in place a massive security operation for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics ahead of Friday's opening ceremony.

Racing in foggy conditions in flat light the can make the nuances of the course difficult to navigate, and with IOC President Kirsty Coventry and Italy President Sergio Mattarella near the finish below, Brignone triumphantly raised her poles after crossing the line.

Fresh snowfall during recent storms and wind-swept snowcaps on weak internal layers have created especially risky conditions, rescuers said.

The American duo came back to beat Italy with their last stone of the match to advance to the gold medal game

Canada put on another ice hockey highlight reel on Friday, beating Switzerland 5-1, and Finland bested Nordic rivals Sweden 4-1 to get their Olympic title defence back on track, while Slovakia held off hosts Italy and Czech Republic beat France.