In a competition-filled week in Tignes, France, Troy Podmilsak secured his first-ever Crystal Globe with a third-place finish in big air. Two Americans progressed to the big air finals: Troy Podmilsak and Avery Krumme.

Podmilsak walked away with third in an action-packed final, impressing the judges with his second and third runs. His second run, a right triple cork 1800 mute, got him back in the running after a fall on run one. Podmilsak's third run, a switch right triple cork 1980 safety, was a redo of his first run. He finished with a combined score of 170.50. Podmilsak was the lone American man in the finals. He was joined on the podium by Norway's Tormod Frostad in first and Leo Landroe in second.

Podmilsak podiumed at all three big air World Cups he started this season (opting to skip the fourth as it was not an Olympic qualifying event). After a tough fourth-place finish at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Podmilsak was thrilled to be crowned the big air champion.

On the women's side, Avery Krumme had a strong day, finishing in fifth with a score of 141.25. Krumme cleaned up her first run with her second, showcasing her classic switch left bio 900 mute. For her third run, Krumme threw a left cork 720 tail. The women's podium consisted of Canada's Naomi Urness in first, Finland's Anni Karava in second and Switzerland's Guilia Tanno in third.

RESULTS
Women
Men

Team USA's Kate Gray earned a 10th-place finish in the freeski halfpipe on Sunday morning after weather and heavy snow caused the final to be postponed from Saturday night. 

Chinese powerhouse Eileen Gu put down a run with a score of 94.75 on her third attempt to win the gold medal, making her the most decorated freestyle skier with six Olympic medals, three of them gold. Her teammate Li Fanghui won the silver medal with a score of 93.00 and Great Britain's Zoe Atkin won bronze in her Olympic debut with a 92.50. 

Svea Irving of Team USA suffered a heavy fall on her first of three runs, forcing her to withdraw from her second attempt. She returned for her third and final run, dropping into the pipe with determination, but was ultimately unable to complete her run.

Although unable to break into the podium, both Gray and Irving showed grit and flexibility. Coming out and competing after multiple changes to the Women's freeski halfpipe competition schedule due to weather and fighting to put down the perfect run needed for the podium each time. 

RESULTS

Women's halfpipe

Alex Ferreira delivered an incredible third run in the men’s ski halfpipe on Friday night, vaulting to the top of the scoreboard and securing another gold medal for Team USA. The victory served as redemption for Ferreira, who made it clear he was determined to claim gold after earning silver at the 2018 Olympics and bronze at the 2022 Olympics in the halfpipe event.

"An unbelievable amount of hard work, dedication, perseverance and belief went into me doing this," said Ferreira. "It really takes a village, literally so many poeple helped me get to where I am today and I'm unbelievably grateful." 

The competition unfolded on a perfect night, with clear skies and a crowd eager to cheer on the field of elite athletes. After qualifications were postponed on Thursday due to the weather, competitors were forced to pivot and complete both the qualifying and final rounds in the same day, testing their stamina and strength as they attempted to put down multiple precise runs on a pipe whose surface and edges can be unforgiving. 

Despite the demanding schedule, all four U.S. men in the field successfully advanced to the finals, marking a strong showing for Team USA.

Behind Ferreira's gold medal-winning high score of 93.75 sat Estonia's Henry Sildaru with a score of 93.00 taking silver. Winning the bronze medal was Canadian Brendan Mackay with a score of 91.00. 

"It's the most beautiful moment I've ever experienced in my life. I'm so insanely grateful," said Ferreira. "It just goes to show, never give up. Always believe in yourself." 

Team USA’s Nick Goepper narrowly missed the podium, finishing in fourth place after an intense crash on his final run, where he landed on the lip of the halfpipe during his final trick. Despite being bumped from medal contention, Goepper walked away flashing two thumbs up and a big smile. 

Colorado native Birk Irving finished just behind his teammate in fifth place, delivering strong performances in his final two runs after a tough start in his first run of the finals. He will now turn his attention to cheering on his younger sister, Svea Irving, in the women’s ski halfpipe finals on Saturday night. 

Hunter Hess rounded out the four qualified U.S. men in Friday’s finals, struggling with his landings as he worked to put down a podium-worthy run. Although he delivered his cleanest run on his third attempt, Hess finished 10th in his Olympic debut. 

RESULTS 
Men's Olympic ski halfpipe 

Alex Hall added another Olympic medal to his résumé, earning silver in the men’s freeski slopestyle at the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games at the Livigno Snow Park. 

Hall’s performance came in a heavy final that showcased intense competition from around the world with all 12 men battling flat light, making it hard to see the landings. But despite the conditions, he delivered a stunning second run, scoring 85.75 points to vault into podium contention and position himself within striking distance of first place. However, he had a small mistake on his third run, which kept him at silver. 

"I’m stoked," said Hall. "Going to bed last night, knowing how good everyone is and what I was going to try, I knew there would be a pretty low chance of landing it and getting on the podium... That’s the nature of slopestyle skiing, with all the rails and trying to get it all together. It’s so unpredictable. I’m just stoked to get a medal. And the scores were so incredibly close in the top three."

Hall, who is known for his creativity in slopestyle, was particularly proud of his rail section, which he said was the "was the hardest rail section I've ever done in competition."

The gold medal in the event went to Norway’s Birk Ruud, who posted a winning mark of 86.28 points, narrowly edging Hall for the top spot. New Zealand’s Luca Harrington claimed bronze, marking his first Olympic medal.

Hall entered the final as the defending Olympic champion, having won gold in slopestyle at the 2022 Beijing Games.

Hall was able to celebrate with his friends and family in the finish, who showed up in droves. Hall grew up in Switzerland and has an Italian mother, with many of his Italian family waving American flags to cheer for him. 

Konnor Ralph and Mac Forehand both qualified for finals and finished ninth and 11th, respectively.

Next, the team begins training for the Olympic big air, with qualifications taking place Feb. 15. 

RESULTS
Men’s Oympic slopestyle

17-year-old Avery Krumme stepped into the Olympic spotlight in the women’s freeski slopestyle final, taking 11th in her first Olympic Games.

Krumme earned her place in the final earlier in the week with a strong qualification showing, advancing in fourth place and signaling that she belonged among the sport’s elite. She put down an aggressive first run as her top score, but had a mistake on the opening rail section. However, her jumps were clean and well-executed, drawing applause from the crowd despite the early error that ultimately held her back in the standings.

“Competing with the best women in the world is an honor and I’m so grateful to be here,” said Krumme.

The podium was claimed by some of the most established names in women’s freeskiing, with Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud defending her 2022 gold, China’s Eileen Gu earning silver and Canada’s Megan Oldham securing bronze. 

When asked about what it’s like to see the standard set by Gremaud and Gu, Krumme commented, “It’s really inspiring because hopefully going into the next Games, I’ll be where they are.” 

Krumme’s Olympic slopestyle debut made it clear that she is a name to watch. She and her Team USA teammates Marin Hamill, Grace Henderson and Rell Harwood will next compete in the Olympic freeski big air. 

RESULTS
Women's Olympic slopestyle

In the final Olympic qualifier of the year, all the pressure was on as the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athletes battled it out to secure a spot at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

Marin Hamill stepped up to the plate, putting down an unreal run one, scoring her a 71.38. The judges loved Hamill's second rail, a back 630, and her butter-pad hit, a switch left 360 to a switch left 360. She was rewarded heavily for her run composition as well, 40% of the score in Laax's section-by-section judging format. Her first run score held on for the remainder of the competition, earning Hamill a second place behind China's Eileen Gu in first and ahead of Austria's Lara Wolf in third. 

It was Hamill's second career podium, after a second in Font Romeu, France, in 2022. Reflecting on her results, Hamill said,

"Podiuming in Laax means the world to me right now," said Hamill. "I'm trying to secure a place in Italy... I was just super stoked to put it all together and land my first run."

This podium finish clinches Marin Hamill's spot at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, the first confirmed woman on the slopestyle and big air side. The rest of the team will be announced on January 23, 2026.

In fourth was Avery Krumme. This is Krumme's third top-six finish in the 2025-26 season, which is her first on the World Cup circuit. The judges loved Krumme's third jump, a switch left bio 900 with a mute grab, and her butter-pad trick as well, a right 180 pretzel switch left 360.

On the men's side, Hunter Henderson was the top American, finishing in fifth. The judges were stoked on Henderson's second rail: a switch left, tails over 270 on with a back cork 810 with a Japan grab. This trick was the highest scored on the second rail, a difficult feat in such a heavy field. Norway's Birk Ruud finished the day in first, with Austria's Matej Svancer in second and Canada's Evan McEachran in third.

Konnor Ralph finished in eighth, with a great first run. Colby Stevenson finished in 11th.

RESULTS
Women
Men