Freestyle skiing delivered heart-stopping drama at the 2026 Winter Olympics as Alex Ferreira of the United States won gold in the freeski halfpipe on Friday, February 20. For the 31-year-old Aspen native, it was a dream nearly a decade in the making.
Ferreira's Golden Moment
Ferreira delivered a statement run with a stunning score of 93.75 to put him into gold-medal position on his third attempt. He threw down a stellar run with five straight double corks and spins in all four directions, punctuating the moment with his signature pole swing. At 31, Ferreira is the oldest American to ever win Olympic gold in the event. After Olympic silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022, Ferreira forged a first-ever "perfect season" in 2023-24 and won back-to-back Crystal Globes in 2024 and 2025.
Goepper's Devastating Crash
The story took a brutal turn for his American teammate. Nick Goepper's crash in the halfpipe final cost him a podium spot on Friday. Goepper went for a switch double misty trick, which has never been landed before in an official competition. Though he escaped serious injury, he was bumped off the podium. Canada's Brendan Mackay's 91.00 bested Goepper's 88.00, bumping him off the podium. Estonia's 19-year-old Henry Sildaru stunned with a 93.00 for silver.
USA's Dominant Weekend
Freestyle skiing success continued for Team USA on Saturday. Team USA were crowned freestyle skiing mixed team aerials champions on Saturday with Kaila Kuhn, Connor Curran and Christopher Lillis finishing with a combined score of 325.35. Meanwhile, the women's freeski halfpipe final was postponed due to heavy snow and rescheduled for Sunday at 10:10 a.m. local time. Check out how
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