Ferreira lands Halfpipe gold to complete his Olympic set

Alex Ferreira (USA) completed his set of Olympic Halfpipe medals on Friday, taking Milano Cortina 2026 gold with 93.75 points from his third run to add to his Pyeongchang 2018 silver and Beijing 2022 bronze.

Less than a point behind Ferreira on 93.00 for his third and final run was Henry Sildaru (EST), who claimed silver to give Estonia its first medal of these Games and their second Freestyle Skiing medal after his older sister Kelly took Beijing 2022 Slopestyle bronze.

Dropping in on the final run of the competition, top qualifier Brendan Mackay (CAN) displaced Nick Goepper (USA), going huge from top to bottom to earn a score of 91.00 points and bronze.

Ferreira opened his third run with a switch right double cork 1080 Japan, before going into a left double 1620 cindy, then a right down-the-pipe double flatspin 1080 Japan, then a left double 1080 safety to Japan, before finishing it all off with a massive right double 1620 cindy.

Following the awards ceremony and celebration with his friends and family, Ferreira reflected on his collection-completing gold medal. 

It was an intense finish to a final that began slowly. Only two competitors enjoyed a clean first run, with Andrew Longino (CAN) topping the early standings with 76.50 points and Ben Harrington (NZL) directly behind on 61.25 points.

But the best-of-three-run format gave the 11 finalists — Lee Seunghun (KOR) did not start — the opportunity to save their best for last.

Heading into the final run it was Sildaru in the lead after putting together a second run that was composed of a switch right 1260 lead cuban, into switch left 1080 blunt, then right double 1620 Japan, straight into a left double 1620 tail, and finally an and alley-oop 1080 tail grab for 92.75 points, before being leapfrogged by Ferreira’s final effort. While Sildaru was able to turn his 1080 from run two into a 1440 in run three, a couple of instabilities along the way meant he would only raise his score to 93.00 and fall just short of the gold.

Three-time Olympic Slopestyle medalist Goepper, who was in provisional third place after his second-run 89.00 before being bumped in the final run of the night by Mackay, crashed heavily on his third attempt, dashing his hopes of a fourth straight Games on the podium.

Mackay’s final run featured easily the biggest amplitude of the evening from the first to the last hit. He opened things up with a five meter-plus switch left alley-oop double flat 900 critical, then a switch double 1080 double Japan, a right double 1620 cindy, into a left double 1620 cindy, and finally an alley-oop flat 540 mute to make the podium on a score of 91.00.

Reigning world champion Finley Melville Ives (NZL), hoping to succeed compatriot Nico Porteous (NZL) as Olympic Halfpipe champion, did not qualify for the final. The 19-year-old crashed heavily in his second run of qualifications and was stretchered from the venue, but is now in stable condition.

Heading into the final, five of the past nine medals have gone to the USA since Halfpipe’s debut as an Olympic event at Sochi 2014. At the Livigno Snow Park, 31-year-old Ferreira restored his country's supremacy atop the Olympic podium.