Tuesday’s men’s freestyle big air final proved to be one of the most intense moments of the Olympics.
While the excitement surrounding Mack Forehand’s groundbreaking jump was palpable, it also led to frustration among Team USA supporters.
For Forehand to claim gold on his last jump, he required a score of at least 97.50 from the judges—a mark that had never been achieved in a Winter Games final or at the World Freestyle Ski Championships.
The 24-year-old athlete ultimately landed the Nose Butter Triple Cork 2160 for the first time, earning an impressive 98.25 points and briefly overtaking Norway’s Tormod Frossad for the top spot.
As I watched Forehand finish, I could hardly believe it, anxiously waiting for Frostad’s next jump to determine the outcome.
In response, the Norwegian executed his best trick, landing a nose butter dab bio 16, narrowly clinching the gold with 98.50 points. This made him the first to successfully perform that specific trick.
The final scores left many American fans puzzled; they felt Forehand deserved to win the gold.
However, Forehand, hailing from Fairfield, Connecticut, swiftly dismissed any thoughts of contesting his score.
“I’ve seen it happen countless times. There are always disputes about who deserves the win,” he explained. “But we understand our sport deeply. We know what counts as a solid performance. The top athletes here recognize what the podium looks like. Of course, outsiders might not grasp it fully, but that’s just how it works. Similar to judged sports like figure skating. But what do they know about our sport?”
Ultimately, the trick that he had never practiced kept Forehand from the gold medal he sought.
“I was ready to go in first,” he mentioned. “But we were aware Tormod had another trick that could potentially score very high.”
2026 Winter Olympics
A trick usually entails six rotations, and in events such as Big Air, the skier executing the most spins typically takes the title.
Yet, that wasn’t necessarily true on this occasion.
Different judges might have had varying perspectives, but most of the debate unfolded on social media, rather than at the event itself.
“The skiing displayed today was remarkable,” Forehand commented, reflecting on Frostad’s unique technique and approach. “I don’t believe anyone has executed those tricks before, which is exciting for our sport. We’re pushing boundaries in new ways, and I wish I could perform tricks like that.”
