Italy seeks milestone medal as Slopestyle starts Olympic Freestyle Skiing program

Italy’s bid to win its first Olympic Freestyle Skiing medal gets underway today, with Slopestyle qualification at Livigno Snow Park leading off the discipline’s 15-gold program.

No Italian has ascended the podium since Freestyle Skiing made its Olympic debut in 1992. The host nation will not be short of medal contenders at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Italy’s first home Games since Turin 2006.

But its biggest Slopestyle hope, Flora Tabanelli (ITA), will not compete today after her name was missing from the start list released on Friday.

The 18-year-old was set to feature in Slopestyle and Big Air, which will have its qualification next Saturday, despite tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee in November 2025.

While missing last season’s overall Park & Pipe Crystal Globe winner today is a blow to Italy, it will be represented by her brother Miro Tabanelli (ITA) and Maria Gasslitter (ITA).

Fighting for a shot at Olympic history

There is plenty of history on the line when the 26-strong women’s field fight for 12 spots in Monday’s final.

Mathilde Gremaud (SUI) is aiming to be the event’s first back-to-back champion. Eileen Gu (CHN) settled for silver at Beijing 2022. Both women are in the running to become the most bemedaled freestyle skier in Olympic history.

Gremaud has five World Cup victories since taking gold at Beijing 2022 and is the 2025/26 Slopestyle Crystal Globe leader.

Gu arrives in Livigno in great form, topping the field at the Laax Open last month for her fourth Slopestyle World Cup win and a record-extending 20th World Cup career victory.

Gremaud and Gu are among four women and four men on three Olympic medals. One of those men is Nick Goepper (USA), who is making his fourth Olympic appearance at these Games. The 31-year-old has been on every podium since inaugural event at Sochi 2014, following his debut bronze with two straight silvers. But he will not be among the 29-strong men’s field as he will be competing for Halfpipe glory instead.

Forehand among the favorites

Mac Forehand (USA) will lead the American charge. The 24-year-old is the joint-World Cup leader alongside Birk Ruud (NOR) and was second to Ruud at the 2025 World Championships.

Compatriot Alex Hall (USA) is the defending champion. He has ascended the World Cup Slopestyle podium six times since winning gold at Beijing 2022 and is the reigning Slopestyle Crystal Globe winner.

Fans will no doubt be looking forward to what Hall has in store. At the Genting Snow Park, he displayed a right double cork 1080 bring-back, effectively stopping a rotation in mid-air to return the other way.

The Livigno course is made up of six distinct sections: three rail features and three jump features. The rail features come at the start, while the jump sections will close out the competitors’ runs.

Women’s Slopestyle qualification begins at 10:30 (local time in Livigno) while Men’s Slopestyle qualification starts at 14:00.

The qualifying round consists of two runs, with each athlete’s best run counted. The top 12 men skiers will advance to the final on Tuesday.