Brendan MacKay, representing Canada, clinched the bronze medal in the men’s freeski halfpipe event at the Livigno Snow Park-Halfpipe on Friday. The gold was secured by Alex Ferreira from the United States, with Estonia’s Henry Sildaru taking home the silver.
During the competition, Andrew Longino and Dylan Marineau, also from Canada, finished in seventh and 11th place, respectively. MacKay, after facing challenges in his initial runs, delivered a stellar performance in his final run, earning 91.00 points and securing a spot on the podium.
Expressing his elation, MacKay mentioned, “It’s kind of hard to believe. I’ve dreamed of this happening since Sochi, since it was added to the Olympics. For it to happen is hard to believe, I’m just so incredibly proud.” The 28-year-old athlete had a strong start in the competition, entering the final round in first place after scoring 92.75 in the men’s qualification.
Ferreira claimed the gold with 93.75 points on his final run, adding to his previous achievements of silver in Pyeongchang 2018 and bronze in Beijing 2022. Meanwhile, Sildaru, in his Olympic debut at 19 years old, won the bronze with a score of 93.00 points, just 0.75 points behind Ferreira.
Both Longino and Marineau, also making their Olympic debuts, represented Canada at Milano Cortina 2026. Longino scored 76.50 points in his first run, while Marineau struggled to maintain a clean performance, finishing in 11th place despite impressive amplitude during his jumps.
The qualifying rounds were rescheduled to Friday due to heavy snowfall, with the final initially set for Friday evening. Canada has a strong history in freeski halfpipe events, with previous medalists including Cassie Sharpe, Rachel Karker, and Mike Riddle. The women’s final is set to take place on Saturday.
