Horishima Wins Silver Amid Dramatic Finish at Milan-Cortina Games

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Games have been buzzing lately, particularly after Japan’s Ikuma Horishima snagged a silver medal in the men’s dual moguls event, a competition marked by surprising twists.

In what was a tense moment, Horishima and American skier Nick Page found themselves on the same course. Unfortunately for Page, he was deemed out of bounds during his run. In a subsequent attempt, as Horishima neared the final slope, he executed a backflip but, well, lost his balance—a tough break.

Despite the fall, Horishima quickly regained his footing and, interestingly, began descending the mountain backwards. It was a surreal sight as he continued in that position all the way to the finish line. A not-so-typical maneuver, right?

Earlier, NBC commentators were in disbelief. Trace Worthington exclaimed, “Oh my god. What’s going on? I can’t believe my eyes,” as Horishima crossed the line in such an unexpected manner.

Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury ultimately took home the gold, while Australia’s Matt Graham grabbed the bronze, finishing right after Horishima. This silver was particularly special for Horishima as it marked his second medal in the competition, having previously secured bronze in the individual moguls event earlier—finishing just behind Australia’s Cooper Woods and Kingsbury.

With this achievement, Japan now boasts a total of 17 medals in the tournament, tying them for third place with the United States. Norway leads the pack with 27 medals, which includes 12 golds, while Italy comes in with 22 medals.

As for the U.S., they have tallied 17 medals as well, including five golds and eight silvers. Not a bad showing, all things considered.

Horishima made his debut at the Olympic level during the 2022 Beijing Games but, unfortunately, he left without any medals to his name then.