Winter Olympics 2026: Canada’s Brendan Mackay tops men’s freeski halfpipe qualification in Livigno
Canada’s Brendan Mackay, the 28-year-old competing in his second Olympic Games, was the top freeski halfpipe qualifier at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 on Friday morning (20 February). He delivered his top score of 92.75 on run 2.
Team USA’s Nick Goepper, 31, the three-time slopestyle medallist who retired after Beijing 2022 only to return in the halfpipe, qualified second with a run 1 score of 90. Estonia’s Henry Sildaru advances in the third position with a score of 88.
Team USA follows with Alex Ferreira, the halfpipe silver and bronze medallist, Hunter Hess and Birk Irving as all four United States athletes advance to finals. Mackay leads a field of three Canadians advancing.
“I feel really good about my two runs,” said Mackay after qualifying. “On the second run, I did a switch double cork 1620, which is a trick I’ve been working on for a long time. It was my first time landing it in competition, so I was happy to put that down.”
“I’m just trying to build something strong for finals.”
Great Britain’s Gus Kenworthy advances in ninth position in his return to competition following a prior retirement.
Qualifying saw a huge disappointment as number one ranked New Zealand freeskier Finley Melville Ives crashed in run two and was taken out of the halfpipe by medical personal on a sled. We wish him the best.
The field will reconvene under the lights tonight at Livigno Snow Park (20 February) at 19:30 local time.
