Hamill Second in Laax
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.
