Additional Coverage:
Alex Ferreira Completes Olympic Medal Set with Gold in Men’s Halfpipe
Livigno, Italy – After more than a decade of dedication and two previous Olympic medals, American freeskier Alex Ferreira finally struck gold in the men’s halfpipe final on Friday night in the Italian Alps. The 31-year-old Aspen, Colorado native secured his long-awaited gold with a spectacular third and final run, scoring 93.75 points and reclaiming American dominance in the event.
Ferreira, who previously earned silver in Pyeongchang in 2018 and bronze in Beijing four years ago, expressed his relief and joy in completing his “rainbow” of medals. “He said he needed to finish the rainbow.
He had the silver, the bronze and he needed the gold,” shared his mother, Colleen Ferreira, with The Associated Press. “He was driven.
A year ago, he said he was going to do this, and he did it.”
This victory marks the first gold medal for the U.S. in nearly two weeks of freeskiing or snowboarding events at the Livigno snow park. The men’s halfpipe has historically been a strong event for Team USA, with David Wise winning gold in both 2014 and 2018. Ferreira’s win returns the top spot to American hands after Nico Porteous of New Zealand claimed gold in 2022.
Nineteen-year-old Henry Sildaru of Estonia, competing in his first Olympics, secured the silver medal with a strong performance, finishing just 0.75 points behind Ferreira. Brendan Mackay of Canada earned the bronze, narrowly pushing American Nick Goepper off the podium in the final run.
Goepper, a seasoned Olympian aiming for his fourth career medal, made the switch to halfpipe for this Olympic cycle after winning two silvers and a bronze in slopestyle at previous Games. Despite a valiant effort, he was edged out by Mackay. Goepper gave spectators a brief scare during his final run when he collided with the deck but appeared unhurt after a few moments.
While Elizabeth Lemley previously won gold for the U.S. in women’s moguls freeskiing at these Winter Games, that event is held at a separate Livigno venue. The Livigno snow park hosts the halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air competitions for both freeski and snowboarding.