Snowstorm delays Olympic freeski big air final – Nationals

LIVIGNO – A sudden snowstorm delayed the start of the women’s freeski big air final by 75 minutes on Monday at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Organizers initially said the earliest the final would start would be at 9pm local time, which was delayed by 90 minutes. But the competition finally started at 8:45 p.m., and there was barely any sign of snow.

During the delay, workers used shovels and portable snow blowers to remove excess snow from the fields at Livigno Snow Park.

Canada’s Megan Oldham and Naomi Urness were both in the final, with Oldham topping the qualifiers.

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The 24-year-old from Parry Sound, Ont., had won bronze in the women’s freeski slopestyle, recovering from a serious crash on her second run to put in a brave final performance and take the podium on Feb. 9.

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This big air competition is for the brave – with a high pain threshold.

Athletes increase speed as they leave the top of the 55-meter jump, accelerating the 40-degree drop to the kicker or five-meter jump, from which they launch their tricks.

In qualifying, both men and women exceeded speeds of 50 km/h as they approached the jump.

Judges assess the level of difficulty, execution, amplitude and landing.

This structure, which stretches for 170 meters, has taken a toll on athletes.

Two-time slopestyle champion Mathilde Gremaud was taken off the field on a stretcher after injuring her hip in a collision during training before the final Monday. The Swiss star, who won major bronze in Beijing and slopestyle silver in 2018 in Pyeongchang, finished third.

Switzerland’s Anouk Andraska (wrist) also withdrew from the final after suffering a crash in training.

On Sunday, Finnish teenage skier Elias Lajunen was involved in a horrific crash in qualifying, landing hard on his back before coming to rest face down. Eurosport stopped broadcasting until medical staff removed him from the pitch.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2026.