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Norway's Birk Ruud celebrates his victory in the Freestyle Skiing Men's Freeski Slopestyle Final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Livigno Snow Park. Oliver Weiken/dpa
Norwegian Birk Ruud added Olympic gold to his world titles in men's freestyle skiing slopestyle on Tuesday and proved he is one of the sport's most versatile performers.
Having won the Big Air competition at Beijing 2022, the 25-year-old is now top of the Olympic pile in slopestyle and also has a chance to repeat his Big Air success next Tuesday.
His first of three permitted runs in the final was his best and counted as his winning score of 86.28 points.
Slopestyle includes skiing down rails and performing tricks on various jumps, which are given points by judges.
"I was feeling pretty consistent with my rails, so I was maybe more worried about the jumps," Ruud said. "That's where it's hard to manage your vision in the air while you're flipping around. But it worked out, so I’m stoked."
US skier Alex Hall, who had struck gold at the last Winter Games, took silver with 85.75 from his second run and New Zealander Luca Harrington finished third with a 85.15 from his last attempt.
Hall still loved the Olympic atmosphere despite missing gold this time.
"It was super special. My mum, dad, brother and his wife were there and it was so cool to have them. They weren't there in China, but they were still supporting me just as hard, cheering from the other side of the world," he remarked.
Ruud had finished fifth in the discipline in Beijing but has since claimed world championship titles in 2023 and 2025 before soaring to Olympic gold.
He witnessed a tight women's slopestyle final on Monday won again by Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud ahead of Chinese superstar Eileen Gu.
Ruud added: "It was cool to watch. I think it (the competition) brings a lot of inspiration to the girls and guys out there. The sport in general is progressing so much, and I'm very happy to be part of it."
Andri Ragettli was overcome with emotion as he remembered his late father after again narrowly missing an Olympic medal.
After finishing fourth, the Swiss said through tears in an SRF interview: "I wanted to make him proud. But I believe he is still proud of me in heaven."
Ragettli lost his father in childhood.
The 27-year-old had already finished fourth in slopestyle at the Beijing Olympics and at the home world championships in Engadin last year.
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(L-R) Silver medallist USA's Alex Hall, gold medallist Norway's Birk Ruud and bronze medallist New Zealand's Luca Harrington celebrate on the podium after the freestyle skiing men's freeski slopestyle final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Livigno Snow Park. Oliver Weiken/dpa
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(L-R) Silver medallist USA's Alex Hall, gold medallist Norway's Birk Ruud and bronze medallist New Zealand's Luca Harrington celebrate on the podium after the freestyle skiing men's freeski slopestyle final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Livigno Snow Park. Oliver Weiken/dpa
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