Final day of Freestyle Skiing action at Milano Cortina 2026 promises plenty

The Freestyle Skiing program at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games is set to end with a bang, with Eileen Gu (CHN) on course for a third medal at Livigno Snow Park.

Gu, the first freestyle skier to win three medals during a single Winter Games when she made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022, can repeat the trick after qualifying for Saturday’s 12-strong Halfpipe final in fifth.

A podium finish will see the 22-year-old break a tie with Canadian moguls star Mikael Kingsbury (two golds and three silvers) as the most bemedaled freestyle skier in Olympic history.

Compatriot Li Fanghui (CHN) qualified second behind reigning Halfpipe Crystal Globe winner and world champion Zoe Atkin (GBR) on Thursday. Cassie Sharpe (CAN), the Pyeongchang 2018 champion and Beijing 2022 silver medalist, was third and 16-year-old Indra Brown (AUS), the 2025/26 Halfpipe Crystal Globe leader, was fourth.

Sharpe, however, is unlikely to start on Saturday evening after suffering a heavy crash in her second run on Thursday. Sharpe was taken from the venue on a medical sled and kept under observation overnight in hospital, though the Canadian team has reported that her condition is stable.

Defending champion Gu was the only athlete in the 21-woman qualification field competing in more than one event. Halfpipe represents her third event at these Games after taking Slopestyle and Big Air silver. The Halfpipe final starts at 19:30 CET tomorrow. 

Wang and Xu look for Aerials gold together

The first of three Freestyle Skiing gold medals that will be given out on Saturday will be at the Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park.

The Mixed Team Aerials final begins at 10:35 tomorrow, with China looking to complete a clean sweep of Aerials medals after Wang Xindi (CHN) struck Men’s Aerials gold on Friday, two days after his wife Xu Mengtao (CHN) retained her Women’s Aerials crown.

China were huge favorites and hosts when Mixed Team Aerials made its Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 but were stunned by a USA team led by Christopher Lillis (USA) and settled for silver. But Lillis is the only member of that golden trio at Milano Cortina 2026 albeit a crucial one, having led the Americans to back-to-back golds at the World Championships.

Reigning Women’s Aerials world champion Kaila Kuhn and Connor Curran will join him in USA’s title defense while Wang and Xu will have the chance to win gold together. Li Tianma (CHN), who took Men’s Aerials bronze on Friday on his Olympic debut, completes China’s team.

Beijing 2022 bronze medalists Canada are the only team who will have the same line-up as four years ago, with Marion Thenault, Miha Fontaine, and Lewis Irving seeking to return to the podium.

Howden favorite for Ski Cross gold

Canada’s medal hopes do not end there as Reece Howden (CAN) will be gunning for Ski Cross gold.

The 27-year-old is on track to win his fourth Crystal Globe as he leads nearest rival Simone Deromedis (ITA) by 133 points in the World Cup standings.

Deromedis finally won a World Cup on home snow in his last start at Val di Fassa last month, ending a six-year wait, and will be riding on a wave of confidence into Livigno Snow Park.

Defending champion Ryan Regez (SUI) and compatriot Alex Fiva (SUI), the silver medalist at Beijing 2022, will be looking for their second Olympic medal.

Seeding begins at 10:00 CET tomorrow, with the 1/8 finals starting two hours later. The finals are set to take place from 13:10.