American freeskier Alex Ferreira captured the gold medal in the men's freeski halfpipe final at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday, completing his collection of Olympic medals with a triumphant performance at the Livigno Snow Park .
The 31-year-old Colorado native delivered his winning run on his third and final attempt, scoring 93.75 points to secure the top spot on the podium . The gold medal adds to Ferreira's silver from Pyeongchang 2018 and bronze from Beijing 2022, making him one of the most decorated freeskiers in Olympic history .
Dramatic Final Runs Determine Podium
Estonia's 19-year-old Henry Sildaru, competing in his first Olympic Games, captured the silver medal with an impressive score of 93.00 points on his final run—just 0.75 points behind Ferreira's winning mark . Canada's Brendan Mackay claimed the bronze with a score of 91.00, edging out American Nick Goepper in the closing moments of the 11-man final .
Goepper, who had switched to halfpipe for this Olympic cycle after winning two silvers and a bronze in slopestyle over three previous Games, was aiming for a career fourth Olympic medal . His final run ended dramatically when he crashed into the halfpipe deck while attempting an ambitious trick, though he quickly rose and appeared unhurt .
Weather Challenges and Course Conditions
The competition faced significant weather-related challenges, with heavy snow in the Italian Alps forcing qualifying rounds to be pushed back to Friday morning, followed by the evening final under floodlights the same day . Athletes competed in both qualifying and finals within hours of each other, testing their physical and mental endurance .
The halfpipe at the Livigno ski resort measures 220 meters in length, 22 meters in width, and rises to 7.2 meters in height, providing a world-class stage for the Olympic freestyle skiing competition .
American Dominance Continues
The halfpipe has traditionally been American territory in the Winter Olympics, with freeskier David Wise winning gold when the event was introduced in Sochi 2014 and again in 2018 . Nico Porteous of New Zealand broke the streak in 2022, but Ferreira has now returned the gold to Team USA . This victory also marked the United States' first gold medal in nearly two weeks of freeskiing or snowboarding events at the Livigno snow park .
Notable Performances and Missed Opportunities
Reigning world champion Finley Melville Ives of New Zealand missed the final after crashing during both of his qualifying runs . American Birk Irving finished fifth, while Britain's Gus Kenworthy, coming out of retirement for his fourth Olympic appearance, placed sixth . New Zealand's Ben Harrington finished ninth .
American Hunter Hess, who had been called a "loser" by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier in the Games following comments about representing his country, finished 10th after failing to cleanly land his runs . Hess made an "L" sign with his hand against his helmet after his first qualifying run but reiterated that he stands by his statements while loving his country .
Ireland's Historic Performance
In a historic achievement for Ireland, freestyle skier Ben Lynch finished eighth in the men's halfpipe final with a score of 75.00, marking one of the strongest Olympic performances by an Irish winter athlete to date . Lynch, who considers eight his lucky number, posted a personal best in qualifying before advancing to the final .
"Eight is my lucky number. My birthday is September 8th. I got eight stitches above my eyebrow here, so eight has always been my lucky number and the fact that I just got eight, the stars align," Lynch told Team Ireland after the competition .
Looking Ahead
The women's halfpipe competition is scheduled for Saturday, 21 February, with China's Eileen Gu looking to defend her gold medal from Beijing 2022 in her preferred discipline . Gu has already secured two silver medals at these Games in slopestyle and big air, becoming the most decorated female Olympic freeski athlete with five total medals .
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics continue through 22 February, with freestyle skiing events remaining a highlight of the Games at the Livigno Snow Park .
