Alex Hall Takes Silver as Men’s Squad Battles Through Unconventional Day in Livigno

If you were expecting textbook conditions and predictable results for the men's slopestyle final at Milano Cortina 2026, well, you clearly haven't been paying attention to how Olympic slopestyle works. Tuesday afternoon delivered flat light and rails running faster than a caffeinated squirrel. Through it all, Faction athlete Alex Hall secured silver in what can only be described as a competition that kept everyone guessing.

Norway's Birk Ruud took gold with 86.28 points, while New Zealand's Luca Harrington earned bronze with a clutch third run performance. But for the Faction squad of Hall, Tormod Frostad, Matej Svancer, and Mac Forehand, it was a day that demanded resilience above all else.

Hall's Silver Lining

The defending Olympic champion came into the final with something to prove after qualifying in eighth position, and he delivered when expectation peaked. Hall's second run was a masterclass, navigating the challenging, fast rail sections and putting together a fluid jump line that earned him 85.75 points and moved him into silver medal position. Close enough to gold to taste it.

With less than a point separating him from Ruud's lead heading into the third run, Hall lined up for one last shot at defending his title. The opportunity evaporated early when he caught an edge on the opening rail features, ending his run before it really began. Still, the silver represents Hall's second consecutive Olympic podium in slopestyle and confirms what we already knew: the guy knows how to show up and hold his nerve.

"Everyone is just so good and on a similar level," Hall had said before the Games. "The main thing will be accepting a certain level of risk in terms of the consistency of the tricks." That balance between risk and execution defined his day.

Frostad's Qualification Promise

Tormod Frostad arrived at the final riding high after finishing second in qualifications with 79.96 points, throwing down massive amplitude and technical prowess that had everyone talking about medal potential. The Norwegian had looked solid and grounded through qualifying, demonstrating the kind of form that wins Olympic hardware.

The final had other plans. Frostad couldn't recapture that qualification magic this time around, struggling to land clean runs across all three attempts. In a discipline where one small hiccup can unravel everything, Frostad found himself chasing runs that kept slipping just out of reach. Sometimes the Olympics give, sometimes they take away, and Tuesday was decidedly a taking day.

Svancer's Push through Challenges

Austria's Matej Svancer rolled into Milano Cortina with serious momentum, having qualified fourth with 79.63 points and carrying a reputation as one of the sport's most creative minds on skis. The guy has the tricks and the vision to make jaws drop, and everyone knows it.

The final didn't cooperate. Matej stunned with his opening features in Run 1, raising pulses all around and on-track for one of the best runs ever seen in competition, only to slightly overcook the first of the jumps. Svancer regrouped for his second attempt, only to make an error that torpedoed his score. By his third run, he'd assembled something cleaner, but it still wasn't the performance his talent deserved. Like many others in the field, Svancer left Livigno with that familiar sinking feeling of knowing there was much more in the tank to give, and we know that means even more to give in Big Air.

Forehand's Struggle for Consistency

Known for his consistency and insane precision, Mac Forehand enters as one of Team USA's brightest hopes, fresh off a world championship silver medal in 2025 and leading the FIS World Cup standings. The Connecticut native had qualified sixth with 74.46 points, shaking off a shaky first run to deliver when it counted.

The final was a different beast entirely. Forehand didn’t quite find his groove on the rails, with errors short-circuiting his momentum before he could even think about attacking the jumps with confidence. Across three runs, with big moments of brilliance, he couldn't quite piece it all together for glory. His story is far from over; we’ve got a keen eye on him for the Big Air, where he often delivers jaw-dropping performances.

The Bigger Picture

A challenging day with a big silver lining, the Faction presence in the final represented one-third of the field, with four riders making it through from qualifications, matching the women.

Hall's silver keeps Team USA's podium streak alive in men's slopestyle, though it marks the first time since the event's Olympic debut that the Americans haven't claimed gold. Combined with Gu's silver on the women's side, it’s been a solid start for the Collective.

For Frostad, Svancer, and Forehand, the final serves as a harsh reminder of how unforgiving Olympic competition can be. Each arrived with legitimate medal credentials and the skiing to back it up. That none could put it together when it mattered most doesn't diminish their talent, but it underscores the microscopic margins that separate Olympic glory from what-could-have-been.

The entire team, both men and women, still have Big Air ahead, where they’ll look to add some hardware to the collection. This coming intermission in Milano Cortina becomes fuel for whatever comes next.

Final Results - Men's Slopestyle

Birk Ruud (NOR) - 86.28
Alex Hall (USA) - 85.75
Luca Harrington (NZL) - 85.38