Skiing backwards seems to be the new thing lately.
The excitement surrounding the 2026 Olympics is palpable, especially with Japan’s Ikuma Horishima making headlines for his unexpected finish in the downhill dual mogul event.
During Sunday’s race, Horishima lost his footing halfway through after tumbling on the final hill. It was a bit of a wild moment. He fell but managed to get back up quickly. “I was just facing the wrong direction,” he joked.
Meanwhile, NBC commentators were taken aback by the spectacle. “Oh my god, what’s going on? I can’t believe my eyes. Ikuma Horishima is coming across the line behind me,” exclaimed commentator Trace Worthington.
Surprisingly, he maintained his balance and crossed the finish line just ahead of American Nick Page, though he was still ruled out for the race.
In the end, Horishima earned a silver medal, finishing behind Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury and ahead of Australia’s Matt Graham. This marked a notable achievement for him, as it was his second podium showing after previously winning bronze in the men’s moguls event.
Horishima, now 28, had previously made his Olympic debut in 2022 in Beijing, where he didn’t secure a medal.
Japan has had a decent run at the 2026 Games, collecting 17 medals so far, which places them tied for third with Italy, behind Norway. However, they’re sitting in 10th place for golds with just three, while Norway leads with 12.
Interestingly, the American team has faced some challenges. Figure skater Ilya Marin, snowboarder Chloe Kim, and downhill skier Mikaela Shiffrin were all expected to perform well but didn’t end up on the podium. Only Kim brought home a silver. On a brighter note, speed skater Jordan Stoltz and skier Breezy Johnson shined by clinching three gold medals between them.
Maybe Horishima’s impressive recovery will serve as motivation for the U.S. team moving forward.
