Olympics
At the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s freeski halfpipe final at Livigno Snow Park, Alex Ferreira delivered the performance of his career, and capped it with Olympic gold.
Ferreira has been one of the most consistent and respected competitors on the halfpipe circuit for years. The Aspen-native entered these Games already the most decorated Olympic men’s halfpipe skier in U.S. history, with a silver from PyeongChang 2018 and a bronze from Beijing 2022, and finished his Olympic journey perfectly by finally capturing the one medal that had eluded him: gold. On his third and final run, Ferreira laid down an immaculate performance and scored 93.75 points, topping the field and completing his Olympic medal collection. With his signature pole swing, the American let everyone know that he was pleased with his final run and it proved to be enough for gold.
While Ferreira stood at the top of the podium, Team USA’s presence was felt deep into the top ranks. Nick Goepper, a veteran and former multi-medalist in slopestyle who transitioned his focus to halfpipe this cycle, looked poised for a podium spot but was edged out on the final run after a scary crash that, thankfully, saw him walk out of the halfpipe with the help of an official. He ultimately finished fourth. Also strong for the Americans were Birk Irving, who landed fifth with an impressive final feed of tricks, and Hunter Hess, who finished 10th after a gritty effort in challenging conditions. Having three skiers in the top six underscores the depth of U.S. freeski halfpipe talent—and reinforces why the Americans have medaled in every Olympic men’s halfpipe event since it debuted in Sochi 2014.
Ferreira’s nearest challenger was Estonia’s Henry Sildaru, the 19-year-old silver medalist who has burst onto the Olympic freestyle scene with impressive versatility and technical acumen, narrowly missing gold by just 0.75 points. Sildaru had been in the lead on run 2 with a score of 92.75. Despite a great third run, his score just fell short to contest Ferreira’s lead.
Brendan Mackay rounded out the podium in third with a score of 91.00, giving Canada strong representation and adding international flair to a compelling night of competition. Mackay kept the evening interesting, snatching bronze on his third run after two previous runs with mistakes had him on the bottom of the group of the final 12. For Canada, Mackay’s bronze continues a rich tradition of excellence in freeski disciplines, and his podium finish kept the friendly North American rivalry alive in a sport defined by rapid progression and fierce competition.
When we spoke with 31-year-old Ferreira last year, he admitted that the Olympic gold has been his obsession for his whole life. “I want to win so badly,” he admitted to SnowBrains back in March 2025. Now, the long-standing dream has become reality, and Ferreira shared after the race: “It’s the most beautiful moment I’ve ever experienced in my life. I’m so insanely grateful. It just goes to show, never give up. Always believe in yourself.”
At 31, Ferreira became the oldest athlete to capture the men’s halfpipe title in Olympic history, which shows, dreams do come true—sometimes they just take time.
