Freestyle skiing at Winter Olympics 2026: Men’s halfpipe showdown featuring Finley Melville Ives, Alex Ferreira and Nick Goepper – full schedule and how to watch live

Freestyle skiing halfpipe will close competition at the Livigno Snow Park at Milano Cortina 2026, serving as the venue’s final event.

The men’s competition will take centre stage first, with finals scheduled for Friday 20 February, followed by the women on Saturday 21 February. Both events will be held under the lights in night finals.

For Team USA, two-time Olympic medalist Alex Ferreira, silver and bronze, is aiming to complete his medal set with gold. With defending Olympic champion Nico Porteous having retired, the door is open for a new champion. Ferreira enters as one of the podium favorites after a perfect 2023/24 season.

Teammate Nick Goepper, a three-time Olympic medalist in slopestyle, is making his Olympic halfpipe debut and is also considered a podium threat with a World Cup win and 2026 X Games silver.

New Zealand, however, may have a say in the outcome. Nineteen-year-old Finley Melville Ives arrives in Italy as the current World Cup points leader. He’s also fresh off a breakthrough X Games halfpipe victory as an exclamation mark leading into these Games.

The U.S. squad also features two-time X Games medalist Hunter Hess and World Cup champion Birk Irving, adding further depth to an already formidable team.

And Great Britain’s Gus Kenworthy has come out retirement for his fourth Winter Olympic appearance, bringing experience and star power to the field.