Park City’s Podmilsak skis to fourth, Forehand earns silver in Olympic Big Air

United States' Troy Podmilsak competes during the men's freestyle skiing big air finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 Photo: AP Photo/Abbie Parr

Podmilsak was backed by a hometown crowd connection: his mom and dad, Lori and Scott Podmilsak, were in the stands cheering him on.

LIVIGNO, Italy — Mac Forehand, of Team USA, won the silver medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics in Freeski Big Air, one of three Americans in the top five, including Park City’s Troy Podmilsak finishing in a strong fourth place.

Konnor Ralph, from Montana, bounced back after a fall on his second run to earn fifth place in the final, which took place under bright lights and big, falling snowflakes.

The gold medal went to Norway’s Tormod Frostad with a score of 195.50, and the bronze to Austria’s Matej Svancer at 191.25. Forehand’s silver came in at 193.25 after three clean runs. The top score in Sunday night’s qualifying round carried into the final. The silver is the Connecticut native’s first Olympic medal in his second Olympic appearance; he competed at the 2022 Games, finishing 11th in Big Air.

“I’m just happy to walk away alive from that event,” Forehand said. “It was super heavy and people were going crazy, so I’m just happy to walk away and be okay, and with a silver medal, that’s pretty cool as well.”

Forehand also spoke to the performance of his USA teammates: “That was some of the best skiing I’ve ever seen out of Konnor. He skied so well tonight, did his first-ever 2160, I think. And Troy as well, doing two tricks that he’s super good at and getting fourth. I’m sure it’s bittersweet for him. I know he wanted more, but he skied so well. They both did, and it’s so cool to have them up there.”

Podmilsak, 21, turned in one of the most exciting performances of the night. Wearing bib number one and skiing first in every round, the Park City Ski Club athlete immediately made his presence known, jumping into first place on his opening run with a score of 90.50. On Run 2, he came within inches of a back-pocket drag but skied away clean. His relentless consistency kept him in contention all night, ultimately landing him in fourth, just off the podium in one of the most competitive Big Air fields in Olympic history.

“Honestly, I’m pretty glad it was soft and snowing, because I’ve been dealing with a heel injury for a while now, and it definitely didn’t hurt as much to land on those last lines when it’s soft,” Podmilsak, who graduated from Park City High School, told reporters in the finish area. “At this point in Big Air, it’s all spin to win. The more rotations you do, the harder.”

Podmilsak was backed by a hometown crowd connection: his mom and dad, Lori and Scott Podmilsak, were in the stands cheering him on. The young Park City athlete credited his roots for getting him to this stage. “I was around guys like Colby Stevenson, Alex Hall, Tom Walich, all the guys,” he said. “You just go to Park City Mountain on a cruising day and you’ll see all the top pros there.”

Meanwhile, Ralph, reflecting on his own performance, said: “Being creative is really a big part of this sport, and the judges reward thinking outside the box. I think I’ll keep spinning, but maybe I’ll throw a little flavor in there.” Ralph had noted earlier that despite knowing a podium finish wasn’t in reach after his second-run fall, he used his final run to attempt a new trick he’d never done in competition. “I feel pretty good and happy about it,” he said.

Tom Horrocks, who has worked with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard communications department for many years and is in Milan Cortina for another Olympics, this time with his wife, colleague, and their children, reflected on what makes Park City such a launching pad for elite athletes. His family has lived in Park City, and one of his daughters was born in Salt Lake City. “A lot of these homegrown athletes from the Park City area are blessed with having elite training facilities, whether it’s the Center of Excellence, the Utah Olympic Park, or of course all the great resorts,” Horrocks told TownLift. “It’s their playground. They grow up experiencing it. It’s their livelihood, it’s what they do, it’s what they know.”