The halfpipe returned to where it belongs on Friday evening: under the lights, with a packed crowd and the kind of electric atmosphere that makes Olympic moments unforgettable. Estonia's Henry Sildaru, at just 19 years old, delivered one of those moments.
Sildaru entered the men's halfpipe final in 3rd place, having already competed in two other Olympic events at Milano Cortina 2026: slopestyle and big air. Neither resulted in medals, finishing 21st and 22nd respectively. But, halfpipe was different. This was his discipline, and Friday night under the lights would be his moment to shine.
The first run was chaos. Top skiers across the field struggled to land clean performances, with missed grabs, hip checks, and crashes defining the opening round. Sildaru went down on the second of back-to-back double 1620s, but not before showing the crowd exactly what made him dangerous: amplitude, grab quality, and technical precision that stood out even in an incomplete run.
Run two changed everything. Sildaru stomped a performance that had the venue buzzing. Back-to-back 1620s, both massive. An alley-oop cork 1080 blunt that drew gasps. The score came back: 92.75. First place heading into the final round.
With American Alex Ferreira posting 93.75 on his third attempt to take the lead, Sildaru had one final chance to reclaim gold. He dropped in with everything on the line and delivered another massive run. The amplitude was there. The grabs were immaculate. The execution was clean.
What makes Sildaru's Milano Cortina story particularly compelling is the scope of what he attempted. Competing in three Olympic freestyle events — slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe — requires not just versatility but a level of commitment and work ethic that most athletes never pursue.
Each discipline demands different skills. Slopestyle requires rail precision, spatial awareness across varied features, and the ability to link technical tricks with style. Big air is about pure amplitude and rotational mastery on a single massive jump. Halfpipe demands rhythm, flow, and the capacity to maintain speed and height across multiple consecutive hits.
Most Olympic freeskiers specialize in one, maybe two disciplines. The training time, physical toll, and mental focus required to compete at an elite level across all three is immense. At Milano Cortina 2026, Sildaru was one of only a handful of athletes to enter all three events, and one of two athletes to medal doing this; the other athlete being Eileen Gu.
The fact that halfpipe was his final performance of the Games, coming after two events where he'd finished outside medal contention, makes the silver even more impressive. Rather than carry frustration or fatigue from slopestyle and big air, he held composure, and saved his best for last. The double 1620 blunt he threw in the halfpipe final showcased technical mastery that had been building across all three disciplines.
At just 19 years old, Sildaru's Olympic debut delivers a silver medal, a performance that will be remembered for years, and proof that versatility across disciplines is possible at the highest level. The fact that his best performance came in halfpipe — after competing in slopestyle and big air earlier in the Games — speaks to focus and mental toughness beyond his years.
His double 1620 blunt might have been the single most impressive maneuver in the entire final. The level he brought to Livigno across all three events demonstrated a commitment to the sport that few athletes his age possess.
For the whole Collective, Milano Cortina 2026 closes with eight Olympic medals across freestyle events. Sildaru's silver in halfpipe, earned under the lights in front of a roaring crowd after competing in two other disciplines, is the kind of multi-faceted achievement that defines what's possible when talent meets dedication.
At 19, earning an Olympic silver medal in your debut Games while also competing in slopestyle and big air is something most athletes never achieve. Henry Sildaru did it at Milano Cortina 2026, and the future looks incredibly bright.
Final Results — Men's Halfpipe
1. Alex Ferreira — 93.75
2. Henry Sildaru — 93.00
3. Brendan Mackay — 91.00
CHF 39.00
CHF 99.00
