2026 Winter Olympics Freestyle Skiing: Halfpipe Final Postponed as Snow Disrupts Saturday Schedule
The women's freestyle ski halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics was postponed after persistent heavy snow made the course unsafe, reshuffling competition plans on one of the final days of the Milano Cortina Games. The change matters because it shifts a marquee event — featuring a 22-year-old five-time Olympic medalist — into Sunday and forces athletes and organizers to adapt under tight timing.
Development details
The International Ski Federation (FIS) confirmed that persistent heavy snow throughout Saturday prevented crews from preparing the Milano Cortina halfpipe to a standard that would ensure a safe and fair competition. As a result, the women's ski halfpipe final was moved to Sunday with a new start time of 10: 10 a. m. local time, which is 4: 40 a. m. ET. The FIS noted that the International Olympic Committee will announce any additional schedule adjustments later Saturday.
Twelve athletes were slated to contest the halfpipe final, including Eileen Gu and teammates from Team USA. In qualifying, Svea Irving and Kate Gray finished eighth and 12th, respectively. Gu enters the event as a five-time Olympic medalist and is contesting her third and final event of these Games in the halfpipe.
Context and escalation
Saturday had been expected to deliver a packed card: Jordan Stolz, the 21-year-old American who took gold in the 500 meters and 1, 000 meters and silver in the 1, 500, was set to race in the men's mass start — the final event on his schedule — while the U. S. curling team prepared for a bronze-medal game. Stolz’s 1, 500 result highlighted his rapid campaign; China’s Ning Zhongyan set an Olympic record of 1: 41. 98 in that event, leaving Stolz 0. 77 seconds adrift.
The mass start format, the only long-track event where every skater begins together, features a 16-lap final in which the first three skaters to cross the line win medals. Belgium’s Bart Swings remains a proven contender in the distance, having won the mass start in Beijing and taken silver at a previous Games.
Immediate impact
The postponement directly affects athletes scheduled for immediate competition in the halfpipe: competitors must reset their routines and recovery timelines for a new Sunday start. What makes this notable is that a marquee name — Eileen Gu, who has already collected two silvers in these Games — now has her final opportunity for a podium finish shifted by weather, potentially altering preparation windows and warm-up protocols.
Elsewhere on Saturday, the U. S. narrowly missed its first Olympic medal in women's curling. Team USA, skipped by Tabitha Peterson, fell 10-7 to Team Canada, skipped by Rachel Homan, in the bronze-medal game. Canada took the lead for the first time in the sixth end, turning a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 advantage; the Americans leveled in the seventh, but Canada produced a three-stone end in the eighth and closed out the match. The U. S. has yet to win an Olympic medal in women's curling.
Forward outlook
Schedule signals are now clear for the coming hours: the women's ski halfpipe final will be contested Sunday at 10: 10 a. m. local time (4: 40 a. m. ET), per the revised timetable tied to the postponement. The men's mass start remains on Saturday’s program and stands as Jordan Stolz’s final Olympic race of these Games. Organizers face the immediate task of communicating updated logistics for teams, broadcasters and support staff, while the IOC is expected to confirm any further adjustments later Saturday.
With the Games entering their final phases, officials and athletes must manage tight turnarounds and rapidly changing conditions; heavy snow has already produced one concrete alteration to the program and could influence other outdoor events if it persists.
