Colorado Freeskier Alex Ferreira Wins Olympic Halfpipe Gold

Ferreira completes his Olympic medal collection after silver and bronze in previous Games.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

American freeskier Alex Ferreira, 31, won the gold medal in the men's halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy. Ferreira, from Aspen, Colorado, had previously won silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022 before finally capturing the elusive gold medal, completing his Olympic medal collection.

Why it matters

Ferreira's victory marks the return of American dominance in the Olympic halfpipe event, which the U.S. had previously won in 2014 and 2018 before losing to New Zealand in 2022. The win also comes after a year in which Ferreira had declared he would win gold, showing his determination to achieve his goal.

The details

Ferreira won the gold medal with a score of 93.75 points on his third and final run, edging out 19-year-old Estonian Henry Sildaru who took silver. Canadian Brendan Mackay won the bronze, pushing American Nick Goepper off the podium. Goepper was going for his fourth Olympic medal but crashed on his final run.

  • Ferreira won gold on Friday, February 20, 2026.
  • Ferreira had previously won silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022 Olympics.

The players

Alex Ferreira

A 31-year-old American freeskier from Aspen, Colorado who won the gold medal in the men's halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Henry Sildaru

A 19-year-old Estonian freeskier who won the silver medal in the men's halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Brendan Mackay

A Canadian freeskier who won the bronze medal in the men's halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Nick Goepper

An American freeskier who was going for his fourth Olympic medal but crashed on his final run and finished off the podium.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. President who had called American freeskier Hunter Hess a 'loser' prior to the Olympics.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“He said he needed to finish the rainbow. He had the silver, the bronze and he needed the gold.”

— Colleen Ferreira, Alex Ferreira's mother (Denver7)

“Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S.”

— Hunter Hess (Denver7)

The takeaway

Ferreira's gold medal victory completes his Olympic medal collection and marks the return of American dominance in the freeski halfpipe event, which had been lost to other countries in recent Olympics. His determination to achieve this goal after years of near-misses shows the perseverance and drive of elite athletes.