Olympic Slopestyle Thriller: jake canter Wins Bronze After Last-Run Charge
In a tense, edge-of-your-seat final at the Winter Olympics, jake canter delivered a gutsy last run to secure the bronze medal in men’s snowboard slopestyle on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET), in Livigno, Italy. Canter’s 79. 36 on his third and final attempt held up as other favorites faltered, handing the American his first Olympic medal in his debut Games.
Final run delivers dramatic finish
Canter entered the final run sitting 10th after the first two attempts. Faced with the simple calculus of go big or go home, he added an extra rotation off the last rail element, stomped his final two jumps and pumped his arms in celebration as he rode into the finish. He then made a brief gesture of gratitude with his hands while awaiting the score board. The judges rewarded the effort with a 79. 36, a mark that proved enough to hold off late challengers.
From the bottom of the hill Canter watched the last riders attempt to chase him down. Mark McMorris crashed hard on his final jump, Marcus Kleveland posted a strong run but tallied a 78. 86, and Dane Menzies crashed out on the last run in visible disbelief. When the final scores settled, Canter finally allowed himself to celebrate a podium moment he had chased for years.
Podium and immediate reaction
China’s Su Yiming took the gold with a top score of 82. 41, while Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa grabbed silver with an 82. 13. Canter’s bronze is a landmark for his young career, coming off a World Cup win in Aspen earlier this season when he topped both Su and Menzies. Veteran teammates were farther down the leaderboard: Red Gerard finished sixth with a best of 76. 60 and 17-year-old Ollie Martin placed ninth with a 75. 36.
After the medal ceremony, Canter reflected on the journey that led him to this moment. He described the emotion of standing on the Olympic podium as something he had dreamed about and worked toward his entire life. "Just can’t believe this is happening … to be in this position I’m in, I’m so grateful, so thankful, " he said, adding that the result "means the world" to him.
Background and what’s next
Canter’s path to the Olympics and the podium has not been straightforward. As a teenager he suffered a trampoline accident that left him unable to hear out of his right ear, a challenge he has navigated while rising through the competitive snowboarding ranks. The bronze in Livigno is the culmination of steady progress on the World Cup circuit and a breakout win in Aspen earlier this season.
The World Cup season will resume in March with stops in Flachau, Austria, and Sivapalan, Switzerland, giving Canter and his rivals a chance to build on the momentum from the Olympic fortnight. For the moment, however, attention will remain on the Livigno slope, where a clutch final run and a cascade of late dramatics produced one of the more memorable slopestyle podiums of the Games.
Canter’s medal also snaps a long Olympic podium drought for the U. S. in men’s slopestyle, reaffirming the country’s depth in a discipline that blends technical precision with big-air creativity. For a rider making his Olympic debut, the bronze is both vindication and a statement: jake canter has arrived on the sport’s biggest stage.
