Colorado’s Alex Ferreira wins gold, makes American Olympic history

Another Colorado legend has claimed a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milan-Cortina. Alex Ferreira’s third and final run on the halfpipe claimed the top score.

When it mattered most, when his entire career came down to one final trip down the pipe, Alex Ferreira delivered like only a kid who grew up on the mountain could.

The 31-year-old Aspen native dropped a stunning 93.75 on his third and final run Friday at Livigno Snow Park, edging Estonia’s Henry Sildaru (93.00) to capture Olympic gold and complete one of the most remarkable medal collections in American skiing history.

Team USA's Alex Ferreira moves into FIRST PLACE on halfpipe. 93.75 ON HIS FINAL RUN. 😤 pic.twitter.com/CtCwLPBTUB

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 20, 2026

Ferreira had said it himself before these Games even began: “I, Alex Ferreira, will be the 2026 gold medalist.”

He spoke it into reality.

Now he owns the whole set. Silver at PyeongChang 2018. Bronze at Beijing 2022. And gold in Italy, in what he’d previously indicated would be his final Olympics.

This is the third American gold in men’s halfpipe skiing in just four Olympic cycles — a remarkable run of dominance that began with David Wise winning in Sochi 2014 and again in 2018 before New Zealand’s Nico Porteous interrupted the streak in Beijing.

Ferreira follows in the footsteps of another Colorado skiing icon, Vail’s Mikaela Shiffrin, who claimed slalom gold a few days ago. The Centennial State continues to produce champions who define American skiing on the world stage — and together, their golds helped power a historic Team USA effort

Historic Gold Haul for Team USA

Ferreira’s gold ties a historic mark. American athletes have now won 10 gold medals at the Milan-Cortina Games, matching the 2002 Salt Lake City haul for the most golds by the United States in a single Winter Olympics.

Ferreira’s triumph

Ferreira went bigger on the run that won him gold, upgrading his third-hit 720 to a 1080 — a calculated risk that paid off and put the pressure squarely on the rest of the field.

His American teammate Nick Goepper responded with an epic run that ended in a last-hit wipeout on a never-before-attempted trick.

Then Canada’s Brendan Mackay nearly did answer with a massive final attempt that forced the judges into a lengthy deliberation, but it wasn’t enough.

It’s no surprise the moment was so tense given how much this meant to Ferreira.

“I’ve dedicated my entire life to the sport and to being the best of the best. That is the one achievement that eludes me at the moment,” Ferreira told TIME before the Olympics. “It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep at night. It completely consumes my mind, probably in an unhealthy way.”

Ferreira even drew inspiration from Lionel Messi — another legend who had to wait until his final chance to claim the ultimate prize.

“My dad and I are huge Messi fans. When he won the World Cup, my dad cried and I actually teared up a little bit as well,” Ferreira said. “I relate to him a lot in my life in the fact that he won his final World Cup on his last try.”

Messi on his gym wall can now be replaced by a picture of him atop the podium, holding his gold at the Olympics.

Like Messi after Qatar, Ferreira’s quest is complete. He has won three Crystal Globes as the world’s best halfpipe skier, including back-to-back titles heading into these Games. Now he has the full set of Olympic medals and nothing left to prove.

 

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