Steen claims third Junior World title in Calgary with Freeski Rail victory

The future is bright for 14-year-old U.S. skier Lainey Steen after she topped the women’s Freeski Rail event on Friday to wrap up her FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships campaign with three titles.

Steen took first place in the 10-woman Rail final at WinSport Canada Olympic Park on Friday after posting a total score of 45.88

Runner-up Ingvild Almaas Hagland (NOR) finished on 43.13 despite coming close to Steen’s trick total – 36.88 versus Hagland’s 36.38 – but it was Steen’s variety score of 9.00 that ultimately pushed her ahead.

Fellow Norwegian Lillian Buszko was third on 42.88.

Steen’s Rail victory comes after the young skier won the Freeski Big Air and Freeski Slopestyle events in Calgary, as well as claimed second place in Freeski Halfpipe. The U.S. teen leaves the FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships with a total of four podiums.

Steen’s Rail victory marks the 14-year-old’s 11th consecutive podium finish of 2026 and third career victory in the Rail event. Steen previously won the Rail event at the Nor-Am Cup in February and topped the national U.S. championships at Copper Mountain in 2025.

For 17-year-old Hagland, Friday’s result is her second career Rail podium finish after she previously claimed third place at the 2026 European Cup in Davos (SUI) in February.

Hagland’s second place on Friday also follows her seventh-place finish in Freeski Big Air and fifth-place finish in Freeski Slopestyle earlier this week.

Buszko’s third place finish is the 15-year-old’s first Rail podium, with all her previous top-three finishes in Freeski Big Air or Freeski Slopestyle.

The Freeski program at the FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships will wrap up on Saturday 7 March with the men’s Freeski Rail event.