Tormod Frostad of Norway delivered a breathtaking, video game-like performance to claim gold in the men’s freeski big air final at the Winter Olympics 2026 in Milan Cortina. Emerging from a Livigno snow globe Tuesday night, the 23-year-old executed two jaw-dropping tricks that left the crowd and judges in awe, while Mac Forehand of the United States took silver with a pair of flawless triple corks. Austrian Matej Svancer captured bronze, earning his first Olympic medal at just 21 years old.
Frostad carried on the legacy of fellow Norwegian Birk Ruud, throwing down two massive runs. His first—a switch right double bio 1620 with a buttery tail—scored 97.00 points. The final run, a right nose butter double bio 1620, earned 98.50 points, pushing his total to 195.50 and sealing the gold. Forehand impressed with two triple cork 2160s, one switch (95.00) and one regular with nose butter (98.25), briefly taking the lead with 193.25 points before Frostad’s final-run brilliance reclaimed the top spot.
While Forehand’s rotations were technically larger, Frostad’s advantage came from his meticulous technical execution—nose-butter takeoffs, high-difficulty grabs, and sideway rotations requiring blind landings—all elements that judges heavily reward.
Frostad’s victory marks a significant breakthrough. After finishing last in the 2022 Beijing Olympics (12th of 12), 9th at the 2023 World Championships, and 37th at the 2025 Worlds, he hadn’t reached a big air World Cup podium since December 2024. A fourth-place finish at the X Games in January hinted at his Olympic potential.
Forehand, an East Coast skier from Fairfield, Connecticut, who honed his skills at Stratton Mountain, Vermont, has risen rapidly in the sport. After placing 11th in big air at the 2022 Olympics, the 24-year-old won X Games big air titles in 2023 and 2026 and entered Tuesday’s final as the No. 1 qualifier. His silver continues the United States’ streak in the event, following Colby Stevenson’s medal in 2022.
Forehand’s teammates also shined: 2023 world champion Troy Podmilsak and Konnor Ralph posted personal-best performances, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Reigning world champion Luca Harrington of New Zealand, whose parents are from the U.S., took sixth.
Tuesday’s result mirrored last week’s slopestyle podium, with Norway and the U.S. again claiming gold and silver—Ruud and Alex Hall in slopestyle, Frostad and Forehand in big air—demonstrating the ongoing dominance of both nations in freeski competitions at Milan Cortina 2026.
