LIVIGNO — Canadian freestyle skier Brendan Mackay won a bronze medal in men’s halfpipe on Friday at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Mackay reached the podium with the last run of the final, scoring 91 points to edge American Nick Goepper.
Alex Ferreira of the United States won gold with a score of 93.75 points, while Estonian teen Henry Sildaru took silver with 93.
Mackay, from Calgary, entered the final with the best score in qualifying earlier Friday, but struggled on his first two runs in the final before forcing his way on the podium.
Andrew Longino of Calgary had the best run of the first round of the final at 76.5, but didn’t improve on it and finished seventh. Dylan Marineau, also of Calgary, was 11th.
Mackay, a 28-year-old whose fiancée is fellow Canadian halfpipe skier Rachel Karker, finished ninth four years ago in Beijing and was world champion in 2023.
Qualifying was shifted to Friday from Thursday because of heavy snowfall. The final was originally scheduled for Friday evening.
Canada had previously won four medals in freeski halfpipe since the discipline was introduced in Sochi in 2014. Cassie Sharpe, injured in a fall in Thursday’s women’s qualifying, has a gold and silver, while Karker has a bronze.
Mike Riddle claimed silver in Sochi.
The women’s final is scheduled for Saturday.
