Canadian Brendan Mackay rises to the occasion to win Olympic freeski halfpipe bronze

Canada's Brendan MacKay reacts during the men's freestyle skiing halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

LIVIGNO — Canadian freestyle skier Brendan Mackay rose to the occasion Friday, delivering the run of a lifetime to win bronze in the halfpipe at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The 28-year-old from Calgary did it on the last run of the night, having to wait after the skier before him, American Nick Goepper, crashed in sickening fashion on the lip of the halfpipe and flew down into the pipe.

The horrific impact hushed the crowd at the Livigno Snow Park, bringing a pause to the proceedings as a medical team rushed to help the fallen skier. Amazingly, Goepper eventually got up, waving as he limped away with the support of a medical attendant.

That left Mackay.

American Alex Ferreira had posted a 93.75 on his third and final run to grab the lead from Estonian teenager Henry Sildaru’s 93.00. Goepper lay third thanks to his second-run score of 89.00.

Mackay stood sixth, having failed to land his first two runs. But by virtue of topping the morning qualifying, he was the last competitor to go.

Listening to Gus Dapperton, he landed all of his tricks, earning a 91.00 to move Goepper, a good friend, off the podium

“That was definitely the best run I’ve ever done,” said Mackay, cloaked in a Canadian flag. “So I’m very stoked.”

“It felt amazing, it felt really big,” he added

It marked the first time he had landed back-to-back double cork 1620s.

Canadian halfpipe coach Trennon Paynter waited with Mackay at the tip of the halfpipe as they watched Goeppert crash.

“It’s part of our sport,” said Paynter. “We know it’s a dangerous sport. It’s what they sign up for, but you really have to be able to take that in stride and move through that and turn your brain to the task at hand. And obviously Brendan did that so well to come up with that run.”

The 31-year-old Ferreira, the two-time reigning halfpipe Crystal Globe winner, previously won silver in Pyeongchang in 2018 and bronze four years ago in Beijing. The 19-year-old Sildaru also competed in slopestyle and big air here, finishing 21st and 22nd, respectively.

Goepper retired from slopestyle and big air competition in January 2023, having won silver, silver and bronze in slopestyle at the last three Games. He returned as a halfpipe skier for the 2023-24 season.

Mackay, who finished ninth four years ago in Beijing and was world champion in 2023, is part of a Canadian halfpipe power couple. His fiancée Rachael Karker won halfpipe bronze in Beijing and is in Saturday’s women’s final here.

His medal upped Canada’s total in freeski halfpipe to five since the discipline was introduced in Sochi in 2014.

Mackay is no ordinary athlete.

He has a bachelor of science — a physics major and math minor — from the University of Calgary and is working on his master’s degree in physics, researching experimental physics in the field of quantum technology.

“This sport has all kinds,” said Paynter. “It has crazy people, it has really calculated smart people like Brendan. Brendan is not a crazy person, although he’s doing a pretty crazy sport. And it’s a really interesting kind of paradox that plays out well for him.”

Mackay says school keeps him balanced.

“Athletes have a lot of highs and lot of lows … If you have a tough day skiing or training, you can shift your focus.”

Friday’s final started slowly with Calgary’s Andrew Longino leading the first round as one skier after another failed to compete their run. But the cream rose to the top in the second and third runs.

Longino finished seventh and Calgary’s Dylan Marineau placed 11th, both making their Olympic debuts.

The halfpipe, some 198 metres long with walls of 7.2 metres, has taken its toll.

Cassie Sharpe of Comox, B.C., who won gold in Pyeongchang and silver in Beijing, was injured in a nasty fall in Thursday’s women’s qualifying.

“Cassie is going to be OK,” said Paynter. “We think she’s going to be back in the (athletes’) village tonight and we expect she’s going to be just fine.”

He said it was too early to tell whether Sharpe could complete. But the chances seem slim to none considering the severity of the crash.

Defending world champion Finley Melville Ives fell on both qualifying runs Friday, with a hard impact on the second. The 19-year-old star from New Zealand was 23rd after the first run and, pushing to lay down a score, went down hard to open the second qualifying run and was stretchered off the course.

He was later diagnosed with a concussion and broken collarbone.

Men’s qualifying was shifted to Friday from Thursday because of heavy snowfall. The final was originally scheduled for Friday evening.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2026.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press