American skier Alex Ferreira clinched the Olympic gold in the men’s freeski halfpipe at Livigno Snow Park on Friday. At 31, he impressively scored 93.75 on his final run, just edging out Estonia’s Henry Sildar, who finished with 93.00 points. Canada’s Brendan McKay secured the bronze with a score of 91.00, pushing American Nick Goepper off the podium.
Ferreira previously won silver at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and bronze in Beijing in 2022. Reports suggest he might not compete in future Olympics, hinting that this was likely his last chance. He returns home with his first gold medal, which, I imagine, must feel surreal after all the hard work he’s put in.
Throughout his career, Ferreira has been notably successful, with 16 World Cup podium finishes and seven medals at the X Games. Interestingly, he dominated the 2023-24 season, becoming the first halfpipe skier to win every event he entered—what an achievement!
In a dramatic turn during the competition, Goepper faced a crash that hindered his medal hopes, allowing McKay the opportunity to shine. Goepper finished fourth while American Burke Irving followed in fifth.
It’s worth noting that Ferreira’s victory marks the 10th gold for the United States at this edition of the Olympics, matching the record for the highest gold tally in a Winter Olympics—previously set in Salt Lake City in 2002.
Meanwhile, Hunter Hess, who made headlines for controversial remarks about the current U.S. Olympic team, fell short of expectations, finishing 10th.
