[OLYMPICS] Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Qualifiers See 3 Team USA Riders Advance to Finals

The men’s snowboard slopestyle qualification round held in Livigno, Italy, wrapped up on Sunday, February 15, with riders vying for a spot in the final at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The event saw 29 riders drop into the beautiful slopestyle course, with only the top twelve finishers moving on. The event was originally scheduled for Monday, February 16, at 4:30 a.m. EST, but was rescheduled for Sunday in anticipation of weather moving into Livigno.

• Related: [OLYMPICS] Norway’s Birk Ruud Takes Gold in Men’s Slopestyle, While Alex All Takes Silver

Team USA riders had a solid day overall, with three of the four American riders moving on to the final. 17-year-old Oliver Martin, who finished fourth overall in big air earlier in the games, finished his qualifying round in sixth place to secure his spot in the final. 2018 Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard also put down an incredible run, getting himself into the final. Jake Canter of Silverthorne, Colorado, finished in 10th and will move on to the finals in his first Olympic appearance. Unfortunately, the final American, Sean Fitzsimons, was unable to qualify for the finals.

Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris also qualified for the final just days after a scary crash that left him unable to compete in big air. Despite being cleared to compete just two days before the competition, McMorris came out swinging, landing his first run and finding himself high on the leaderboard. He would go on to finish the round in third. McMorris is hoping to win his first Olympic gold after having won bronze in slopestyle in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

• Related: Canadian Snowboarder Mark McMorris Suffers Crash in Training, Gets Stretchered Off Snow

The top rider of the day was New Zealander Dane Menzies, who earned a score of 86.02 on his very first run of the day. He started his run with a backside boardslide same-way 270 and capped it off with an impressive backside 1620 (four and a half rotations). This is the 20-year-old’s first Olympic appearance, and he will be fighting for a spot on the podium in the final.

The top 12 riders will compete for a spot on the Olympic podium in the finals, set for Wednesday, February 18.