Nick Goepper’s hopes to earn a fourth Olympic medal at the 2026 Winter games were dashed Friday in the final round of the men’s freeski halfpipe.
The American freestyle skier from Lawrenceburg had a promising start in the qualifying rounds but crashed on the halfpipe at Livigno Snow Park. Goepper, 31, fought back valiantly, earning a score of 89 and a chance at a bronze medal.
Canada’s Brendan Mackay, however, managed to snatch it away from Goepper with a score of 91, bumping the Lawrenceburg native back down to fourth place. Fellow USA teammate Alex Ferreira, 31, came in first, earning a gold medal with a high score of 93.75. Silver went to Estonia’s Henry Sildaru, 19, who got a score of 93.
How did Nick Goepper do at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Goepper looked great in the beginning.
He breezed through two qualifying rounds Friday morning, placing second overall, official results show, with a score of 90. But it was Mackay, again, who overshot Goepper with a top score of 92.75 to finish first.
Who is Nick Goepper, the freestyle skier from Indiana?
Goepper is the second Indiana native, and first in a winter sport, to qualify for four Olympic Games.
What is the freeski halfpipe?
In the freeski halfpipe, according to Olympics.com, competitors perform a series of tricks while skiing down a semi-cylindrical slope.
Watch 2026 Olympic Games on Peacock
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Nick Goepper just misses 4th Olympic medal in 2026 freeski halfpipe
Reporting by John Tufts, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
