Chase Josey returns for third Olympics as U.S. halfpipe team eyes Livigno showdown
Chase Josey is back on the sport’s biggest stage, set to anchor a four-man U. S. men’s snowboard halfpipe squad in Livigno this week. Qualifying opens Wednesday at 5: 30 a. m. ET, with the final scheduled for Friday at 5: 30 a. m. ET, and the field is loaded with medal favorites and rapidly evolving trick difficulty.
Veteran presence at the lip: Josey’s third Games
At 30, Josey enters his third Olympics as the steady hand for a U. S. contingent blending experience and emerging talent. His hallmark has long been amplitude and execution under pressure—attributes that often separate finalists in a format that rewards clean, fully linked runs. With the technical bar rising each season, his ability to adapt in-run and stack landed tricks without scrubbing speed will be central to the team’s hopes.
U. S. roster blends experience and youth
Josey is joined by Jake Pates, 27, who returns to Olympic action after a lengthy layoff that followed a 2019 brain injury. The comeback arc positions Pates as a wildcard with podium-level tricks when healthy. First-time Olympian Chase Blackwell, 26, brings fresh energy and big-rotation potential, while 17-year-old Alessandro Barbieri steps into his debut with the kind of fearlessness that often animates qualification rounds. The quartet’s mix gives the U. S. multiple paths into the final and strategic variety as the format rewards two chances to post a top-12 score.
A stacked international field raises the ceiling
The event features 25 riders from 11 nations, and the medal chase is expected to be razor thin. Australia’s Scotty James arrives as a five-time Olympian with silver and bronze already on his shelf and a run of dominance that includes five straight X Games halfpipe titles. Japan’s Ayumu Hirano, a three-time Olympic medalist and the defending champion from 2022, remains a pace-setter with otherworldly rotation and cork control. With that duo pushing the envelope, finalists will likely need both heavy-difficulty spins and immaculate landings to stay in contention through the last drop.
Format and timing
Qualifying gives every rider two runs, with the 12 best scores advancing to Friday’s final. Expect a conservative–then–progressive rhythm: a safety run to bank a number, followed by a second pass turned up for difficulty if conditions and confidence align. All competition times are set for early mornings in the United States—5: 30 a. m. ET for both the Wednesday qualifier and Friday final—placing an emphasis on rapid warmups and rhythm for athletes adjusting routines around the early starts.
Tricks to watch as the bar rises
Progression will be a storyline throughout the week. Blackwell described the current level as “rewriting the book, ” pointing to runs that increasingly open with switch spins and stack multiple 1260s. He highlighted a switchback 1080 at the top and a 1260 as pillars he believes can secure a finals berth, with room to scale up into additional 1260s or even a 1440 if the moment demands. Those comments frame what judges are likely to reward: amplitude, variety in direction and spin, and seamless flow—especially switch tricks and back-to-back high-rotation hits landed clean.
What it means for Team USA
For Josey, the pathway to the podium runs through disciplined run construction and bulletproof execution, especially as rivals chase max-value rotations deeper in the pipe. The U. S. could benefit from multiple finalists, allowing tactical adjustments as the final evolves. If Josey locks into his trademark amplitude early and links heavy spins without checks, he has the experience to capitalize late, when pressure and course wear amplify every landing. With a deep roster and a format that rewards clean, well-varied riding, Team USA enters the week with credible podium scenarios—and a veteran in Josey who has been here before.
