US Skier Alex Ferreira Wins Gold in Men's Free Ski Halfpipe

Ferreira narrowly edges out Estonia's Henry Sildaru to take the top spot on the podium in his likely final Olympic appearance.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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American freestyle skier Alex Ferreira, 31, won the gold medal in the men's free ski halfpipe event at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games. Ferreira scored a 93.75 on his final run, edging out Estonia's Henry Sildaru who scored a 93.00. Canada's Brendan Mackay took the bronze medal. Ferreira, a Colorado native, has previously won a silver medal in 2018 and a bronze in 2022 before finally capturing his first Olympic gold.

Why it matters

Ferreira's gold medal victory marks the end of a storied Olympic career for the veteran skier. It also ties the United States' record for most gold medals won at a single Winter Olympics with 10, matching their performance at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

The details

Ferreira, who has made 16 World Cup podiums and won seven X Games medals, was nearly joined on the podium by fellow American Nick Goepper. However, Goepper suffered a harrowing crash that knocked him off the podium, allowing Canada's Brendan Mackay to claim the bronze medal. American Birk Irving finished fifth, while Hunter Hess, who faced criticism from former President Donald Trump, did not place and finished 10th.

  • The 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games took place from February 6-22, 2026.
  • The men's free ski halfpipe final was held on Friday, February 20, 2026.

The players

Alex Ferreira

A 31-year-old American freestyle skier who won the gold medal in the men's free ski halfpipe event, his first Olympic gold medal after previously winning silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022.

Henry Sildaru

An Estonian freestyle skier who won the silver medal in the men's free ski halfpipe event, narrowly finishing behind Ferreira.

Brendan Mackay

A Canadian freestyle skier who won the bronze medal in the men's free ski halfpipe event.

Nick Goepper

An American freestyle skier who suffered a harrowing crash that knocked him off the podium, finishing fourth.

Hunter Hess

An American freestyle skier who faced criticism from former President Donald Trump and did not place, finishing 10th.

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What they’re saying

“These Olympic Games were likely to be my last one.”

— Alex Ferreira (Olympics.com)

The takeaway

Ferreira's gold medal victory marks the end of a storied Olympic career for the veteran skier, who has now won medals of every color over the course of three Olympic Games. His triumph also ties the United States' record for most gold medals won at a single Winter Olympics, underscoring the country's continued dominance in freestyle skiing events.