On a dazzling Friday in Italy, Alex Ferreira delivered the performance of a lifetime, capturing Olympic gold in the men’s freeski halfpipe at the Milan Cortina Games. The 31-year-old from Aspen, Colorado, put together a masterclass in execution and progression, throwing down a run packed with five straight double corks, spins in all four directions, and finishing with his signature pole swing to punctuate a historic moment.
Ferreira’s path to gold was anything but smooth early on. After cleaning up a shaky landing in his opening run, he surged in Run 2 with a score of 90.50, showcasing technical brilliance that included a pair of switch 1080s and two massive 1620s. But it was his final run that sealed the deal. Upgrading his third hit from a 720 to a 1080, Ferreira pushed the envelope further and earned a winning score of 93.75, locking in the top spot on the podium.
The competition was fierce from start to finish. Estonia’s rising star Henry Sildaru, just 19 years old, delivered a breakthrough performance with a 93.00 to claim silver, marking a historic moment as his nation’s first male Olympic freestyle skiing medalist. Canada’s Brendan Mackay surged late with a clutch final run scoring 91.00 to take bronze, bumping American veteran Nick Goepper into a heartbreaking fourth-place finish.
Behind them, Birk Irving secured fifth place, while fellow American Hunter Hess finished 10th. Great Britain’s Gus Kenworthy, a fan favorite and Olympic veteran, placed sixth at age 34 in what may have been his final Olympic appearance.
The event carried added drama even before the final began. Reigning world champion Fin Melville Ives suffered two crashes during qualifying and was stretchered off the course. Reports later confirmed he was conscious and in stable condition. His absence opened the door for a reshuffled final, contested just nine hours after qualification in a grueling schedule where only one athlete managed to land a clean run in the first round.
Ferreira’s gold medal was the culmination of years of dominance. After winning Olympic silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022, he achieved a rare “perfect season” in 2023–24, going undefeated across the X Games, Dew Tour, and all five World Cup events. He followed that with back-to-back Crystal Globe titles in 2024 and 2025, cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
His victory also continued a remarkable streak for Team USA, which has now earned at least one medal in men’s freeski halfpipe at every Olympic Games since the event’s debut. From gold in 2014 to multiple podium finishes in 2018 and 2022, and now another gold in 2026, the United States remains the standard-bearer in the discipline. Notably absent this year was three-time Olympic medalist David Wise, who did not qualify.
Ferreira’s triumph carried broader significance as well. His gold marked Team USA’s 10th of the Milan Cortina Games, tying the nation’s record for most gold medals at a single Winter Olympics, a mark previously set at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
On a night filled with progression, pressure, and perseverance, Alex Ferreira stood above it all—finally claiming the Olympic gold that had long eluded him and solidifying his place atop the freeski halfpipe world.
