Halgren Silver, Kurka Bronze in Paralympic Super-G
Team USA earned two medals in the super-G at this Tofane Alpine Skiing Center at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games with Patrick Halgren taking a silver in standing and Andrew Kurka a bronze in sitting.
In the speed event under sunny skies, Halgren laid down an aggressive run to claim the silver medal, finishing just 0.98 seconds behind Switzerland’s Robin Cuche, who took gold. France’s Jules Segers secured bronze.
Halgren attacked the course from the start, carrying speed through the sweeping turns and technical terrain to finish just .98 seconds behind the dominant Cuche. Halgren’s performance was unexpected, considering he never finished on the World Cup podium, but put down the run of his life with his coaches and teammates shouting with delight at his performance.
“Best day of my life. Until tomorrow. I'll repeat that until the day I die,” said Halgren. “But it’s just another Monday. You celebrate the victories the same way you do the defeats. I’ve been blessed to have to develop my character over the last 11 years – losing my leg. I could either roll over and die or become the best Patrick Halgren on earth.”
Halgren, who is known for being an off-the-wall character on the Para alpine circuit, created a media circus around himself both in the downhill and then again with his unexpected win in the super-G. He spoke Italian and tried to Hulk-rip his bib off in the finish of the super-G before doing interviews shirtless with his bib wrapped around his head like a do-rag; he dyed his hair red, white and blue in the Paralympic village; he spoke with unabashed randomness and candor about his performance (“I put the pedal to the floor until I see checkered flag or God. And that's how you win.”).
His persona is on the rise, with one media member asking his “What do you say if people call you the rock star of these games?” Halgren’s response: “You’re not wrong. Yeah, I am a rock star.”
Kurka, who has been a stalwart on the World Cup and Paralympic circuit for four Paralympic cycles, added to his medal tally in the men’s sitting super-G, earning the bronze medal with a powerful run down the Cortina course. The podium marks another Paralympic medal for Kurka, who now has a medal count of three: a gold and silver from PyeongChang and now a bronze from Milano Cortina.
Kurka’s result came behind the Netherlands’ Jeroen Kampschreur, who captured gold, and Norway’s Jesper Pedersen, who finished second.
“It was a close race,” said Kurka. “I had some major mistakes in the course, but I was able to keep my speed up and I feel pretty good about it.”
“In the men's sitting category, we're basically racing motorcycles down an icy slope and off of jumps,” continued Kurka. “Anything can go wrong at any moment on it and if you're not anticipating it then you're going into the fence.”
Rounding out the rest of Team USA, Anna Soens was just off the podium in fourth in women’s sitting. Saylor O’Brien was fifth. In women’s standing, Kelsey O’Driscoll was seventh, Audrey Crowley eighth and Allie Johnson 13th. Meg Gustafson and guide Spenser Gustafson were eighth in the visually impaired category.
On the men’s sitting side, Jesse Keefe was 14th after battling an issue with his prosthetic, with Spencer Wood 18th and Tyler McKenize 21st. Andrew Haraghey did not finish, but is OK. It sitting, Ravi Drugan was 13th, Robert Enigl 14th, Matthew Brewer 16th and Blake Eaton 20th.
Monday’s results early momentum for the alpine combined on Tuesday, which will feature athletes racing a run of super-G followed by a run of slalom.
