Forehand Leads Qualifying at Milan Cortina 2026 Big Air Competition

Milan, Italy – Mac Forehand of the United States topped the qualifying round of the men’s big air competition at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, showcasing an impressive display of freeskiing prowess. The qualifying round, held Sunday night, saw an exceptional level of performance from the athletes, with eleven skiers landing individual jump scores of 90 or higher.

Qualifying Results

Forehand secured first place with a combined score of 183.00, achieved through a switch left triple cork 1980 (93.25) and a left nose-butter triple cork 1620 (89.75). NBC Olympics reports that he will be the last to drop in during Tuesday’s final.

Here’s a glance at the top 12 qualifiers:

1. Mac Forehand (USA) – 183.00
2. Matej Svancer (AUT) – 182.25
3. Birk Ruud (NOR) – 181.00
4. Tormod Frostad (NOR) – 180.25
5. Luca Harrington (NZL) – 179.75
6. Matias Roche (FRA) – 178.50
7. Timothe Sivignon (FRA) – 178.00
8. Ulrik Max Harstad Samnoey (NOR) – 176.00
9. Dylan Deschamps (CAN) – 175.50
10. Troy Podmilsak (USA) – 174.00
11. Martin Nordqvist (SWE) – 173.50
12. Konnor Ralph (USA) – 171.75

Ruud and Other Notable Performances

Birk Ruud, the defending champion in big air and recent gold medalist in slopestyle, opted to skip his final run in qualifying, stating he expects a “tough battle” in the final with many athletes attempting large tricks. NBC Olympics quoted Ruud as saying, “The plan is to just try to enjoy it, put down my best tricks. That’s all I can do.”

Luca Harrington, fresh off a win at the Winter X Games, finished in 5th place. French skiers Matias Roche and Timothe Sivignon achieved unexpectedly strong results, placing 6th and 7th respectively. FreeSkier highlights the impressive performances throughout the qualifying round.

Looking Ahead to the Final

The men’s big air final is scheduled for Tuesday, February 17th. Athletes are expected to push the boundaries of the sport with even more challenging tricks. The qualifying round demonstrated a high level of skill and progression, promising an exciting and competitive final. Red94 anticipates a thrilling showdown for the gold medal.