Who won gold in the men’s freeski big air final?

LIVIGNO, Province of Sondrio — A new champion was crowned Tuesday in the men’s freestyle skiing big air competition after a thrilling final during a snowstorm at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Norway’s Tormod Frostad jumped into the gold medal spot after a big final run. 

Mac Forehand, representing the United States, finished with a score of 193.25 to seal the silver medal. Heading into the men’s freeski big air final, Forehand had the best qualifying score.

The two-time Olympian previously won silver in the men’s freeski slopestyle at the 2025 Engadin event. He is the reigning X Games champion and is the current co-leader of the Big Air World Cup Standings.

His toughest competition was initially thought to come from Norway’s Birk Ruud, who had already clinched gold in the ski slopestyle event at the Milan Cortina Games. 

Ruud finished in 8th place.

Alongside Forehand, two other Team USA athletes competed. First-time Olympians Troy Podmilsak and Konnor Ralph barely missed out on the podium, coming in fourth and fifth respectively. 

Tuesday’s competition took place as heavy snow fell in Livigno. Other events scheduled for Tuesday, including the women’s snowboarding slopestyle final, were postponed due to the weather. But the big air finals soared on. 

The Livigno big air ramp, built on a scaffolding, sends the riders soaring down a slope that’s more than 131 feet in height and was lit by floodlights for the nighttime event.

Athletes ride down a slope toward a massive ramp, which they use to soar into the air and perform different aerial tricks before sticking the landing.

The Big Air discipline made its debut at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.