​Teenage ski sensation Indra Brown has capped off her debut World Cup season with an impressive second‑place overall ranking, following a sixth‑place finish at the final event in Silvaplana, Switzerland.
 
Competing in windy conditions that limited amplitude across the field, Brown opened the two‑run final with a score of 77 points. She improved on her second run, posting 77.50 points after adding an extra 360‑degree rotation on her second hit.
 
Brown’s highest scoring run included a left cork 900, right 540, left 720, switch right 540, switch left 260 and left alley-oop with all tricks completed with grabs.
 
Victory in Silvaplana went to Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin with a score of 86.75 points, while Mischa Thomas of New Zealand finished second on 80.75 and Russia’s Aleksandra Glazkova placed third with 80 points.
 
The win secured the Crystal Globe for Atkin with 360 points on the final standings, moving her ahead of Brown, who finished the season second overall on 290 points. Brown also finished the season ranked second on the FIS Overall Park & Pipe World Cup standings, which includes results from halfpipe, slopestyle and big air.
 
Brown’s end‑of‑season ranking is the best ever by an Australian winter sports athlete in their first World Cup season, highlighted by three World Cup podiums including a victory, a silver medal at her debut X Games, and a fifth‑place final finish in her first Olympic Winter Games.
 
Brown also competed in the slopestyle event in Silvaplana, where she finished 19th, while Joey Elliss placed 55th in the men’s slopestyle competition.

Teenage ski sensation Indra Brown’s remarkable debut season continued in Tignes, France, where the 16‑year‑old narrowly missed the podium in her first ever World Cup Big Air competition, finishing fourth.

Brown has focused primarily on the halfpipe discipline through to the Olympic Winter Games, where she produced a standout performance to place fifth. She currently sits atop the World Cup halfpipe standings and has already claimed three World Cup medals this season, including a victory, along with the Junior World Championship title.

Her first big air and slopestyle starts of the season came earlier this month at the Junior World Championships, where she finished fifth in big air and fourth in slopestyle.
​
In the Big Air World Cup in Tignes, Brown qualified for the final in fourth place, posting a best score of 84 points with a left‑side double cork 1080 with safety grab on her opening jump.

The final followed the three‑run format, with only the top two scores from two distinctly different tricks counting towards the final result. Brown again opened with the left‑side double cork 1080 with safety grab, scoring 83 points. She then took off switch for her remaining two jumps, landing a left‑side bio 900 with safety grab for 74.25 points. On her final attempt, Brown added an extra 180 degrees of rotation but was unable to improve her score, finishing with a combined total of 157.25 points to place fourth, just 2.75 points shy of the podium.

Victory went to Canada’s Naomi Urness with 166.7 points, ahead of Finland’s Anni Kavara on 166, while Switzerland’s Giulia Tanno claimed third with 160.

In the slopestyle World Cup, Brown finished 14th in qualifying, missing the top‑10 final.

Also competing for Australia in Tignes were Joey Elliss, who finished 49th in big air and 54th in slopestyle, and Aidan Lang who placed 42nd in slopestyle.

Brown will now turn her attention to the final World Cup event of the season at the Corvatsch Park in Silvaplana, Switzerland. Slopestyle qualifying will take place on March 26, with finals on March 28, while halfpipe qualifying is scheduled for March 27 and the final on March 29.

She leads the women’s halfpipe World Cup standings on 290 points, holding a 30‑point advantage over Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin, with China’s Kexin Zhang third on 245 points.
​
Brown is also third in the Overall Park & Pipe standings on 358 points, which combine halfpipe, big air and slopestyle results, trailing Great Britain’s Kirsty Muir on 419 points and Urness on 392.

NSWIS snowboarders Tess Coady, Mela Stalker and Valentino Guseli have all delivered top‑10 performances in the World Cup slopestyle final at Absolute Park in Flachau, Austria, with Coady leading the Australian charge in fourth place, narrowly missing the podium.

Guseli impressed in the qualification round, winning the first heat with a score of 74.98 points on his second run. In the women’s qualifiers, Coady progressed to the final in seventh place with a score of 67.51, while Stalker secured the final qualifying spot in tenth on 61.16 points.

Competing in challenging weather conditions, Coady opened the women’s best‑of‑two‑run final with the third‑highest score of the round, posting 65.46 points. She was unable to improve on her second run and ultimately finished fourth. Stalker finished ninth, with her best score of 34.10 coming on her second run.

In the men’s final, Guseli’s strongest score came in the opening run, where he recorded 59.23 points. Unable to improve on his second attempt, he finished in ninth place overall, his best slopestyle result of the season.

Outside the finals, Joshua Robertson‑Hahn recorded a personal best World Cup slopestyle result, finishing 18th, while Jesse Parkinson was 48th.

The final snowboard park & pipe World Cup events of the season will take place in the Corvatsch park in Silvaplana, Switzerland. Halfpipe qualifying is scheduled for March 25, followed by finals on March 28, while slopestyle qualifying will be held across March 26 and 27, then the final on March 29.

Guseli will contest both events in Switzerland and currently sits second on both the World Cup halfpipe and overall park & pipe standings. In halfpipe, he has accumulated 350 points, trailing Olympic gold medallist Yuto Totsuka by 46 points. Guseli also sits second in the overall standings, just 17 points behind Totsuka heading into the final events of the season.

​Freeski superstar Indra Brown has shown maturity and skill well beyond her years, finishing fifth in the Women’s Freeski Halfpipe on the final day of competition at Milano Cortina 2026. 

After a snowstorm forced the postponement of the final originally scheduled for Saturday night, Brown finally got her moment in the sun – quite literally competing under warm bluebird skies on Sunday morning. 

Article courtesy olympics.com.au

The 16-year-old landed three clean runs in the pipe, progressively adding more technical tricks each run. She said she was saving her best run for last – pulling out a run she’d never landed in competition before, to score 87.00. 

“I tried to build every run to try and up my score, which I did,” Brown said. 

“Then on my last run, I was able to land a left cork nine blunt, right cork nine safety, left cork 10 safety switch, right five Japan, left cork seven, and then left alley-oop five mute. 

“I’m stoked on that run, I've never put it down in competition, so I was really happy to.” 

Brown’s fifth place result is the second-highest finish for an Aussie Winter Olympic teenager in history, only behind two-time Olympic Champion Jakara Anthony who placed fourth as a 19-year-old in her moguls debut in 2018. 

As the youngest member of Australia’s 2026 Winter Olympic Team – and also the competitor that has had to wait the longest to compete – Brown said she was ready to put on a show in Livigno. 

“Oh, it's incredible. You know, to be able to land three runs at the Olympics is pretty special,” the Melbournian said. 

“I just wanted to come out here and show everyone what I could do, so by doing that and getting this result, it’s just amazing.” 

Defending Olympic champion Eileen Gu (CHN) won her sixth Olympic medal and first gold of Milano Cortina, putting down a massive third run to score 94.75. It’s her third medal of the Games, adding gold to her slopestyle and big air silver medals. Gu’s compatriot Fanghui Li won silver (93.00) narrowly ahead of Great Britian’s Zoe Atkin in third (92.50). 

Gu was the first person to run over to Brown after she landed her successful third run and congratulate the Aussie teen on a fantastic Olympic debut. 

“We just gave each other a big hug, she was really proud for me,” Brown said. 

“It’s really cool, she saw that I idolised her, so to have her give me a hug at the end of my last round of the Olympics is pretty special.” 

Brown won’t have long to soak in her achievements, jumping straight on a plane to represent Australia at the 2026 FIS Park & Pipe Junior World Championships in Calgary, Canada which get underway next week. 

When she eventually returns back home to Melbourne, she said she’s looking forward to seeing all her school mates. 

“I think it'll be pretty sweet to see all my friends, they're really happy for me, so it'll be really cool.”

Sixteen-year-old Indra Brown has lit up Livigno Snow Park on debut, storming into the Women’s Freeski Halfpipe Final with two clean, confident runs that earned her fourth place in qualifying

Article courtesy olympics.com.au / Images Copyright Chris Hocking

Brown’s second run score also edged out defending Olympic Champion – and friend – Eileen Gu, who qualified in fifth with 86.50 from run two, after a fall in her first run. 

Heading into her first Olympic final, Brown said she just wants to “go out there and try and enjoy myself.” 

“You know, not put any pressure or any thoughts of a certain result. I want to just go out there, ski my first Olympic finals at my first Olympics and enjoy it, because, you know, it's something that doesn't come very often.” 

While she wouldn’t reveal if she was holding any new tricks up her sleeve for the final, Brown said she’s excited to put on a show for her family in Livigno – including her parents, three siblings and grandma - and her friends and schoolmates cheering her on from back home. 

“I'm so grateful for [my family] and really excited that they were able to see me ski today. 

“My friends have been messaging me all week, they're just super supportive and pumped for me, so it just makes it even better when I go back home and they're all excited to see me.” 

The Women’s Freeski Halfpipe Final will be the final event at Livigno Snow Park, to be held under lights on Saturday 21 February, from 7.30pm CET time (5.30am AEDT Sunday 22 February). 

​Ally Hickman put in a brave performance in the Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Final to round out her Olympic debut.

The 16-year-old Sydney schoolgirl laid down a seamless opening run to score 67.70 and sit in fourth position after the first of three runs.  

Article courtesy olympics.com.au ​

The wind picked up in her second run and Hickman fell on a top rail, injuring her sternum and was unable to complete the course. She was attended to by medical staff and bravely returned to the top for a third run.  

Hickman’s final run in the best-of-three format was super clean run from the top, but she could not land her front 10 given her speed into the last jump. She landed too high on the knuckle and didn’t have enough time to rotate, rolling down the landing.

Japan won gold and bronze with Mari Fukada in first (87.83), New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski Synnott second (87.48) and Kokomo Murase third (85.80). 

Hickman was embraced by a group of teammates at the end of her remarkable Olympic debut. 

Hickman – a newcomer to the world stage – finished seventh in her first Olympic final. This follows her 15th place finish in Big Air earlier in the Games.   

The second youngest member of Australia’s 2026 Winter Olympic Team, Ally Hickman, has qualified for the Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Final, finishing sixth in Sunday’s heats.

The 16-year-old delivered a clean and composed opening run at Livigno Snow Park, scoring 71.41. With windy conditions challenging riders throughout the session, particularly on the jumps, her first run score held firm across the second run and secured her place in the top12 final.

Article courtesy olympics.com.au

The teenager said her plan was to put down a safe, reliable opening run.

“I’m so happy, it was such an amazing event,” Hickman said.

“First run, I was just trying to keep it safe, just laying a score on the board and it’s gotten me to finals which is so good.”

While the slopestyle course was daunting at first, Hickman said it quickly began to feel more natural under her board.

“First look, it was very daunting, but hitting the course, it flowed really well,” she said.

“The jumps today were a bit windy and we couldn’t really clear them as well. But they ended up working pretty nicely.”

Having played is ‘safe’ in qualifying, Hickman said she plans to up the ante for finals.

“I want to land my best run, the run that I’ve been dreaming about to land in the Olympics for a while now. It should be such a good final.”

Fellow Australians Mela Stalker and Tess Coady finished 22nd and 27th respectively, with scores of 47.36 and 38.95.

Stalker said she has been struggling on the course this week, so made the decision the night before the competition to change up her run. A change that brought her a lot of enjoyment in competition today.

“Today was an awesome day, I actually enjoyed riding the course today, which has been a struggle all week, so I was pretty happy about that,” the 22-year-old said.

“I changed up my run last night, so it was a bit interesting getting into it today.

“I love playing around with the rails and making it fun, and I really struggled with that this week, and it was really getting to me.

“Trying to find a run that I’d be proud of and actually enjoy was the hardest part because these rails are either massive or really chill.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t get me on the right path today, but that’s okay, I enjoyed riding it…. That’s what it’s about, it’s about actually enjoying what we’re doing.”

Ally Hickman will return for the Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Finals on Tuesday 17 February (11pm AEDT)

​Five-time Olympian Scotty James has added another Olympic medal to his collection, winning silver in the Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe in one of the most impressive Halfpipe finals in history.
 
James is now the most decorated Australian Winter Olympian having won bronze in PyeongChang, silver in Beijing and now silver in Milano Cortina. He is the only Winter Olympian with three medals.   

Article courtesy olympics.com.au / Images Copyright Chris Hocking
 
“To be the most medal-winning Aussie Winter Olympian is amazing, it’s special to be able to accomplish that,” James said.
 
“To have done it over that many years, it’s freaking hard to say the least, just to show up here and be competitive is hard.”
 
With James’ silver following Josie Baff’s Snowboard Cross gold earlier in the day, it becomes the most successful day in Australian Winter Olympic history.
 
“It's unbelievable to be a part of, and obviously I was watching them [Josie Baff and Cooper Woods] inspired, wanting to do the same.
 
“For Australian Winter sport, we're heading in the right direction and it's been amazing to be part of it.”
 
In an epic final where the best of three runs counts, James narrowly missing the landing on his first run.
 
His second run started with a near-perfect cab 1440 triple cork and finished with an impressive backside 1440 to score 93.50 and put him in the silver medal position. 
 
His third and final run kicked off with a 1440 to a frontside 1260, then delivered a clean backside 1080 double cork, but James just missed the landing on his backside 1620. 
 
Japan’s Totsuka Yuto landed a 95.00 on his second run that could not be beaten, with his countryman Yamada Ryusei rounding out the podium with a score of 92.00 to take bronze.
 
James said that while it was the gold he was hunting for, he was proud to have put everything into his performance and win another silver medal.
 
“At the end of the day it's not exactly the result I wanted, but I don't go up there for the results,” he said.
 
“I absolutely love it and I didn't start this for potentially winning a medal or not. I did this because it's my passion, my life.
 
“In the next 24-hours, I’ll probably have a bit of a cry, but I’ll be happy as well because representing the country and winning a medal is unbelievable and I'm really proud of that.
 
“I'll wake up and still be thinking of what I'm going to do on my board and looking forward to the next opportunity. I look forward to many more battles in the halfpipe.”
 
Coming into the Games, James was vocal about his goal to push the sport beyond its limits and said he was determined to try a 1620 (an extra half rotation) on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
 
“I potentially could have done it with a 14[40], but for myself I had to do the 16[20], I wanted to push it, that’s what I was here to do, regardless of the result.
 
“It was really going to be for me that run, but I’ll have to keep pushing it in the future.”

Valentino Guseli also impressed in the pipe under lights, placing fifth – one better than his Beijing 2022 result.
 
In his first run, Guseli wowed the crowd as he launched a massive 6.1M out of the pipe.
 
In this third and final fun, the 20-year-old kicked off with an alleyoop backside 360 at 5.6M, only to soar 5.8M out of the pipe on his second hit. Putting down a clean run that ended with a switch backside 1260, Guseli scored 88.00 - a run that would have seen him claim the bronze at Beijing 2022.
 
“That kind of finals pressure in the Olympics is massive and I think everyone felt it a little bit, Yuto managed to feel it the least and put down the best run,” Guseli said.
 
“I definitely think I could have ridden better... I still believe if I did my best snowboarding I could have won, but I didn’t and that’s the nature of the game.
 
“The standard was huge tonight, it was the biggest comp of all time, it was insane.”
 
With an exceptionally high standard of riding, the top-six athletes in Milano Cortina all put down runs what would have won medals four years ago in Beijing.
 
“It’s been crazy watching the progression over the many years and Olympics that I've gone to, it’s been amazing,” James said.
 
"I don't think the progression has been that rapid in 12 months ever. There were times where I was like, ‘I hope it slows down’ but it didn't.
 
“I'm pushing it, they're pushing it, so I'm as equally responsible, but it's been cool to be a part of it.”

Article courtesy olympics.com.au

With dominant opening runs, Scotty James and Valentino Guseli have both secured their place in the Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe finals. 

James was the eighth rider to drop in and wasted no time launching into massive 1440s to put down an opening run score of 94.00 – a score that remained at the top of the scoreboard for the 40 runs that followed. 

His second run wasn’t as clean, but with his mission accomplished, it locked him in as the top-ranked qualifier, meaning he will drop in last in the 12man final. 

“I wanted to come out and put my best foot forward to try and qualify first,” the five-time Olympian said. 

“I feel like being in that position in the final is a really good place to be – you can be a little bit more mindful and strategic in the approach when it comes to the competition on Friday.  

“I pushed it a little bit more in qualies than I usually would with the Switchback 14 and I was really happy to execute it. It’s going to be an exciting final." 

Guseli also impressed, delivering two strong and consistent runs – an 86.75 followed by an 86.25 – to comfortably qualify in sixth place. 

“I put down two runs and I did the first triple that I’ve done in a comp in a really long time, so that felt good and I’ll hopefully clean the last run up for finals,” the 20-year-old said. 

“I did the triple tonight, so it was good to get it out of the way… and then there’s maybe two more tricks I’d like to put into my run if all goes well. 

“If I can do them, it will leave me in a position I want to be, so I just hope that I can do that.” 

The standard for the men’s Halfpipe qualifications was exceptional, with the top riders laying down scores that could have podiumed in Beijing four years ago. Japan’s Yuto Totsuka (91.25), Ryusei Yamada (90.25) and Ruka Hirano (87.50), along with America’s Alessandro Barbieri (88.50), joined James and Guseli inside the top six. 

“That qualies was like a final,” Guseli said. “So the finals are just going to be insane, it’s going to be the biggest show ever.” 

James agreed, saying the standard of the early riders pushed him to elevate his own opener. 

“It was unbelievable riding from everyone – the Japanese of course, Valentino rode amazing, Cam [Campbell Meville Ives] from New Zealand. The whole field was pushing it, so I was standing there thinking, ‘well, if I want to go where I want to go – position wise – I need to turn up the dial a bit’ and I was able to pull off a good run,” the 31-year-old said. 

“From a competitive standpoint, halfpipe riding in the Olympics is the most competitive it’s ever been. I think the top six can all win, and I don’t think that’s been the case before, it’s usually been one or two people that have the chance to win, so I think this time around it’s going to be an amazing battle.” 

While he plans to pull out all the stops for the final, Guseli said James was the one to beat, but the “Japanese guys have got more in the tank as well.” 

“For the first time in quite a long time in halfpipe, it could almost be anyone’s game, but Scotty’s got some stuff that’s pretty insane and hard to beat,” he said. 

“I know if I do my best stuff, I could potentially be up there. 

“It’s going to be crazy and it’s hard to speculate – all you can do is watch and see what happens and enjoy the show.” 

While James remained tight lipped on if there were any tricks in his bag he’s yet to perform for an audience, he did promise he’s going to try to do something special. 

“On Friday, I'm going to try and pull off the best run of my life, and I think that's what it's gonna take to win.” 

Scotty James and Valentino Guseli will compete in the Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe Finals under lights on Friday night (from 5.30pm AEDT on Saturday 14 February). ​

IMAGE TOP - Scotty James
IMAGE BOTTOM - Valentino Guseli
COPYRIGHT CHRIS HOCKING

18-year-old Amelie Haskell made her Olympic debut alongside 26-year-old Emily Arthur competing at her third Games. 

The Sydney snowboarders took to the halfpipe under cloudy conditions in Livigno without their third “Aus Girls” amigo 

Article courtesy olympics.com.au / Images Copyright Chris Hocking

Misaki Vaughan who was ruled out yesterday with concussion.  
 
In the best-of-two run format, the Aussies did not make the top 12 to progress through to finals, with Haskell finishing 20th and Arthur 24th.  

Haskell’s first run was clean, getting good air on her opening backside air, followed by a frontside 540 tail grab. She then went for a front 720 double grab and cab 540 mute for a score of 41.75. It was her best run of the day after she could not land her frontside double grab in her second run and slid out. 

“Going into my second run, my coach was just like ‘go as big as you can' and just show everyone you can go super dooper big!’ So that was kind of the mission,” Haskell said. 

While she did not nail the trick, Haskell fed off the Olympic energy.  

“Seeing the crowd for the Olympics is unreal - it's such a big event,” the Olympic debutant said. 

“Seeing the Olympic rings at the top of the pipe was just crazy. I was like: oh my gosh, I'm here… It's surreal.” 

Arthur’s start was far from what she hoped for, coming down after her opening backside hit. She lined up for her second run knowing everything was on the line and gave it her all.  

“I went for it,” Arthur said of her most impressive backside nine-hundred trick.  

“I didn't really come here to come 13th. I've already done that twice now, so I just kind of went for it. It was kind of a risk, but I made that call two months ago.  

Unfortunately, it was not to be and she missed her landing, but Arthur’s sunny disposition shone through.  

“If I landed, I would have made finals. So I'm glad I went for the risk. It didn't work out today but I'm proud of myself,” she said.  

All eyes turn to the men’s Snowboard Halfpipe qualifiers tonight featuring Valentino Guseli – who was on site watching the women’s qualifiers – and  Scotty James. 

Catch Scotty James and Valentino Guseli in the Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe Qualifiers at Livigno Snow Park from 5.30am AEDT on Thursday 12 February. Finals will be held at 5.30am AEDT on Saturday 13 February.  ​

IMAGE - Amelie Haskell launching out of the Livigno pipe

Aussies Tess Coady and Mela Stalker have soared to top 10 finishes in the Women’s Big Air final, placing seventh and tenth respectively in a world-class field.

Coady’s seventh place marks the best result ever recorded by an Australian in Olympic Big Air, improving on her ninth place from Beijing 2022.

Article courtesy olympics.com.au / Images Copyright Chris Hocking

Entering the 12 rider final ranked 12th, the three-time Olympian said she felt free to simply enjoy the moment.

“I didn't really have any expectations because I guess I was already in 12th, so it's kind of like anything you can do is a bonus from there,” the 25-year-old said.

“Going into the runs, I just wanted to land some stuff, feel good, and make it look good.”

Leading off the competition, Coady opened with a 70.00 for a backside double 1080 with melon grab. She followed with 61.00 for a switch backside 900 with mute grab, sitting in fifth place heading into the final jump, but was unable to improve her scores, finishing with a total score of 131.00.

Olympic debutant Stalker came out firing in the final, scoring 72.50 for her backside double 1080 with mute grab. She was unable to replicate the execution on her next two runs, scoring 35.00 for a frontside 1080 to finish with 107.50.

While disappointed not to put down three clean runs, Stalker said the night left her more inspired than ever.

“To ride with the best of the best was pretty awesome. Unfortunately, I couldn't put it down but I’m pretty stoked, it's been an awesome experience, that's for sure,” the 22-year-old said.

“It’s definitely the most intense competition I’ve been in… the most high-end competition I’ve been a part of. To be here and watch the girls send it and give it their all has been insane. 

“I didn't think I'd get this far tonight, so I'm pretty happy to be a part of it and really embrace watching everybody and seeing where I can get to.”

The women’s field pushed the sport to new heights, led by Japan’s Murase Kokomo, who delivered two 1440s for the top scores of the night. She opened with a backside triple cork 1440 mute grab – the highest scoring jump of the competition at 89.75 – and closed with a frontside 1440 scoring 89.25 to secure gold with 179.00 points.

New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski Synnott claimed silver with 172.25, while the Republic of Korea’s Yu Seungeun, just 18, took bronze with 171.00. Dual Olympic Champion Anna Gasser was denied a shot at history after falls on her first two attempts ended her bid for a third Big Air title.

Recognising the significance of Kokomo’s double 1440s, the rest of the field were quick to celebrate the emotional Olympic Champion.

“[Kokomo] started bawling her eyes out and I was tearing up. It was pretty emotional to be with all the girls at the bottom and to see her throw down - and Zoi and Yu too.”

Coady echoed that sentiment, praising the level of riding on display.

“Those girls are amazing, they’re so good at riding big air, doing 14s and stuff would be pretty scary on that jump.

“Everyone is so inspiring to watch, and we also spend so much time together, we’re all friends, and it’s super sick.

“Kokomo’s been working so hard the last few years, I think she really deserved that win.”

Both Aussies will now turn their attention to Slopestyle in week two of the Games. 

Coady – the Slopestyle bronze medallist from Beijing 2022 - said the Big Air tricks on display could have an exciting impact on the next event.

“Yeah, that'll definitely be super interesting to see what people go for in the Slopestyle,” she said. 

“Obviously you have to connect the whole run up. Big Air is the one jump, but in Slopestyle you have to have something good on every trick, so it will be really interesting to see what kind of runs people are putting together and I’m looking forward to that for sure.”

In her main event, Coady will again be joined by Stalker and 16-year-old Ally Hickman who placed 15th in Big Air qualifiers.

“It’s so nice to start with Big Air and be able to work on the tricks that I’m going to take to slope,” Stalker said.

“We’ve had a bit of a warm-up now which is cool!”

Coady, Stalker and Hickman will return for Women’s Slopestyle on Monday 16 February.

IMAGE TOP - Tess Coady
​IMAGE BOTTOM - Tess Coady and Mela Stalker

​Three Aussies lined up for the Women’s Snowboard Big Air qualification in Livigno Snow Park. Triple Olympian and bronze medalist Tess Coady, and Olympic debutants Ally Hickman and Mela Stalker.  

Coady, Hickman and Stalker are from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland so the crowd was packed with friends and family from across the east coast of Australia excited to see the Aussies go big.  

Article courtesy olympics.com.au / Images Copyright Chris Hocking

Big Air has been filled with dramas these Games from the highs and lows of watching Val Guseli pullout a 19 hundred to squeak and tonight was no different.  

Tess Coady had the tough job of being number one on the start list, but she handled it like a pro. She delivered a solid first jump score of 78.50, Hickman sixteenth to run spun up a front side 1080 mute grab and deliver an 85.25 finishing the first round in third. Stalker unfortunately failed to stick the landing putting the pressure on for the next two rounds.  

“Sitting third after that one, I was really excited. I went over to my family. They were probably the loudest in the crowd, yeah, it was so crazy,” said Hickman.

Going into the second-round jump Stalker knew she really needed a result to stay in the competition. She responded with authority nailing a backside 1080 mute and delivering an 82.25. Coady, however, had a difficult landing, while Hickman landed a solid second jump.  

In the third, Stalker did it again. She absolutely nailed a frontside 1080 mute to land in 6th place. Coady, just edged into the final finishing in 12th spot with a solid switch backside 900 mute, Hickman landed all three jumps but failed to produce a high enough score for the final finishing in 15th place.  

Stalker being a rookie put her first-round jump down to nerves, “So much anxiety throughout the whole day. So, I think I'm pretty glad to just, kind of breathe through it.” 

She also pulled out a new trick for the night, “Yeah, it was the first time doing back dub 10 in a competition. So I learned that on the on the day I came here. So, to be able to put it in in comp mode is pretty cool”. 

She felt the support of the team really help her to get the job done on the night.  

“It's like a little family. It's so cool. Good to have Tess make the final as well. She rode so well, and so did Ally. I can't, I can't believe how proud I am of them and to be able to ride with them this this year has been great.” 

Coady was really focused on the second run to get into the final on the night.  

“I wanted to just do a switchback nine I did on my second run. But it was just like, it slowed down a little bit as it got a bit colder. So yeah, I just wanted to land that, cleaner and just make it look good. And, yeah, get some points, just hope, hopefully that was gonna be enough. 

Placing 12th means Coady will be first again in the final, “In the final, I think I’ll do a  switchback 10, I might just see, how the jump is and stuff but It's a little tricky when you're, like, the first rider to drop.” 

PHOTO - MELA STALKER IN ACTION

Article courtesy olympics.com.au

​Valentino Guseli wasn’t expecting to compete in Big Air at Milano Cortina 2026 two days ago.

But after receiving a last-minute call up when Canadian star Mark McMorris withdrew due to injury, the 20-year-old not only stepped into the Men’s Big Air event and qualified for the final on Saturday evening, he delivered a gutsy top-10 finish on the world’s biggest sporting stage with almost no Big Air preparation.  

“I was stoked to be out there, I had a lot of fun riding,” Guseli said. “I left it all out there… I couldn't have tried harder or, wanted it more. So yeah, no regrets. 

“[Mark McMorris] went out, and I came in, so essentially I had his spot and I wanted to do something special with his spot, out of respect for him.” 

Guseli opened the final with a Switch Backside 1800 Nosegrab, but was unable to ride out the landing cleanly, scoring 23.00. 

He went big on his second jump, successfully landing a Switch Backside 1980 Tail Grab for only the third time in his career. The last time he landed it was just two nights earlier to book his ticket into the Olympic final. His score of 86.75 was the fourth-highest scoring trick of the night. 

Entering the final round in eighth place, the Aussie went for a huge Backside 1980 Indy Grab, but unfortunately, he came in just a quarter rotation short missing the landing and catching a backside edge to finish the night with a total score of 103.25 in 10th place overall. 

Despite the landing, Guseli said he walked away proud of the risks he took. 

“I think the level was so high that everyone just had to go all in and throw the biggest stuff they could and I know that I definitely threw the best stuff that I could,” he said. 

“It was the third time I landed the Switchback 19 ever in my life... And it was the first time I ever tried the back 19 - which was the last trick that I crashed on, unfortunately.” 

Japan dominated the Big Air podium, with Kira Kimura taking gold (179.50) and Ryoma Kimata winning silver (171.50). China’s Yiming Su claimed bronze (168.50). 

Guseli will now turn his attention to his main event – the Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe – with official training getting underway on Sunday before qualifies on Wednesday, alongside fellow Aussie Scotty James. 

“I think I'll definitely be more comfortable by the time the Halfpipe rolls around,” he said. 

“Hopefully we can both get up there and make Australia proud.”

IMAGE COPYRIGHT CHRIS HOCKING

With only three hours to prepare, Valentino Guseli has pulled off a trick he has only attempted one other time on snow, to qualify in 12th place for the Men’s Snowboard Big Air Final. 

Knowing he needed to pull out a huge trick with his third and final jump to secure a place in the final, Guseli stomped a massive Switch Backside 1980 Tailgrab to score 91.50. That took his total score to 163.00 - one point more than the 13th placed athlete. 

Article courtesy olympics.com.au

It was an exceptional start to Australia’s Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic campaign, which was not scheduled to start for another two days. 

After falling agonisingly short of automatically qualifying for the Big Air and Slopestyle competitions, Guseli was only expected to compete in the Halfpipe, scheduled for 13 February. 

However, following a training injury which forced Canadian Olympic medallist, Mark McMorris to withdraw from the competition, Guseli was the only Snowboard Halfpipe athlete with a top 30 Big Air World Cup finish and enough FIS points to gain a start in Big Air. 
Receiving the official news just three hours before the event commenced, the 20-year-old Aussie leapt at the opportunity to stand at the top of the Big Air jump and squeezed in his first ever practice jumps on the colossal ramp in the hour before the competition commenced. 

"I found out last night that there was a chance I was going to get in after unfortunately Mark had a bit of a spill and wasn’t able to compete tonight,” Guseli explained. 

“When I found out I was getting the spot, then I just wanted to take that spot and go as far as possible with it. 

“By the time I dropped in for my first run, I only had eight runs on this jump, so I’m pretty stoked with that.” 

Guseli opened his Olympic campaign with a Switch Backside 1620 Double Tailgrab, scoring 73.25 and putting him in 15th position after the first jump. 

Ever the showman, the 20-year-old fanned the cameras in a cloud of snow after sticking the landing before performing a handstand flip to excite the fans at Livigno Snow Park. 

His second jump, a Backside 1620 Drunk Driver scored 71.50 kept him in 15th position. 
With only the top 12 advancing to finals, Guseli knew he had to pull out all the stops if he wanted a chance to secure his spot. 

“I was planning to do an 1800 instead of a 1920. Me and my dad [Guseli’s coach] were talking about it and he was like ‘dude, you might have to go the 19[20] to get the score’ and I was like ‘dude, I don’t know if it’s worth it’? 
“What I thought was: I’m not going to go and try something like a Hail Mary that I could get destroyed on and miss out on Halfpipe... 

“And then I thought for little bit and then I thought: ‘it's the Olympics, man’. 

“Once I decided it was like, let's go! Then I ended up just finding flow state pretty easily when I dropped in and snapped it, grabbed, came around, saw the landing, stomped it. 

“Sometimes things just happen for you when a lot of work accumulates into a certain moment, and I guess it felt like a lot of hard work paid off in that moment.” 

Having only landed that trick on snow once before – over 18 months ago before his ACL injury - Guseli’s Switch Backside 1980 Tailgrab scored a massive 91.50 to secure his position in Saturday’s final. 

Guseli will return to the ramp in the Men’s Snowboard Big Air Final at 7.30pm local time on Saturday 7 February (5.30am AEDT Sunday 8 February). 

Australian snowboard superstar Scotty James has extended his phenomenal X Games winning streak to five, taking out the superpipe final under lights in Aspen, USA. The victory delivers him his eighth career gold medal at the prestigious event, drawing him level with American legend Shaun White for the most X Games snowboard golds. James now surpasses White for all‑time superpipe podiums, earning his 11th career medal in the event.
 
James opened in the best of three run final with a score of 92.33 points, with his run featuring a switch backside 1440, the first time the trick has been performed in X-Games history.
 
In his second run, James was set for another strong score but came in a little short on one of his landings at the end of the run, clipping the lip of the pipe, and opted to not attempt his last hit, scoring 30.33 points.
 
In his third and final run, James saved the best for last, with his final two hits featuring a switch backside 1440 into a backside 1440, the first time such a combination has ever been performed in competition. James had a light hand drag on his final landing, but the judges were still impressed scoring a huge 95 points to secure victory.
 
Joining James on the podium were Japan’s Haku Shimisaki, who claimed silver with 89.66, and Shuichiro Shigeno, who finished third with a score of 85.
 
“Tonight I came out, and I never take anyone for granted, all my competitors that I ride against, every year they get better and tonight I knew I had to do something to put my best foot forward and try and win,” said the 31-year-old from Warrandyte in Victoria.
 
“I think they inspire me as well, I think maybe I’ve got a chip on my shoulder every year, thinking maybe it wouldn’t be expected to show up and try again and win again, and I managed to do that today, and I am speechless.
 
“I wanted to do something for myself and for the halfpipe and push backside riding as much as I can, and tonight I think that was always the plan, I wanted to come out and do the first ever back-to-back backside 14s ever, so I am pumped.”
 
James now turns his attention to the Olympic Winter Games in Milano‑Cortina, where he will look to become the first Australian winter sports athlete to capture a third Olympic medal.

2022 Olympic bronze medallist Tess Coady has come agonisingly close to claiming her second career X‑Games medal, finishing just off the slopestyle podium in fourth place in Aspen, USA.
 
The performance marks her strongest result of the season and delivers a timely confidence boost for the NSWIS rider as she builds toward next month’s Olympic Winter Games in Italy.
 
In the best‑of‑three‑run final, the 25‑year‑old Melbourne athlete improved with every attempt—opening with 69 points, lifting to 71.33 in her second run, and delivering a standout final run scoring 86 points. She ultimately missed the podium by only 3.66 points.
 
Great Britain’s Mia Brookes secured the gold medal with 96.33 points, New Zealand’s Zoe Sadowski‑Synnott claimed silver on 93, and Japan’s Cocomo Murase earned bronze with 89.66.

Australia’s rising skiing star Indra Brown has delivered another extraordinary performance in her meteoric debut season, winning the silver medal in the women’s ski halfpipe at the X Games in Aspen, USA. At just 15 years old, the Melbourne teenager becomes the youngest ski halfpipe medallist in X Games history.
 
The result comes less than 24 hours after Brown was officially named the youngest athlete selected to represent Australia at the upcoming Milano‑Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
 
Showing composure beyond her years under lights in front of a large crowd, Brown improved across all three runs, opening with a strong 80.00, lifting to 88.33 in run two, and sealing the silver with an impressive 90.00 in her final run.
 
Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin claimed gold with 94.66, while Canada’s Cassie Sharpe secured bronze with a score of 87.00.
 
Brown now heads toward the Olympic Games in exceptional form, sitting atop the World Cup standings following the best debut season ever recorded by an Australian winter sports athlete, with results of third, second, first and fourth from her first four World Cup starts and only one Word Cup event remaining to decide who will win the Crystal Globe as World Cup Champion.

NSWIS teenager Ally Hickman has achieved a career‑best World Cup result in the slopestyle event in Laax, Switzerland, placing ninth in her first-ever World Cup slopestyle final. The performance improves on her tenth-place finish at the same venue last year, when only eight women progressed to the final. This season the field was expanded to ten.
 
The 16‑year‑old qualified for the final in tenth position with a score of 55.46 on her second run. In the final, Hickman was unable to land a clean run, scoring 22.58 on her first attempt and 35.25 on her second, finishing ninth overall. Japan’s Kokomo Murase secured the win with a top score of 77.55.
 
Fellow Australian Meila Stalker also competed in the women’s event, finishing 16th in qualifying.
 
In the men's competition, NSWIS snowboarder and two‑time World Cup Overall Park & Pipe Champion Valentino Guseli delivered his best slopestyle performance of the season, qualifying for the semifinal after an impressive third‑place finish in his heat with runs scoring 79.95 and 83.75.
 
In the 24‑man semifinal, Guseli was unable to match his qualifying form, posting a best score of 44.21 in his second run, placing him 17th and outside the top‑12 required for the final. French rider Romain Allemand won with a best score of 86.70.
 
Other Australian men in action included Joshua Robertson‑Hahn (49th) and Jesse Parkinson (58th).
 
Freeski Slopestyle
In the freeski event in Laax, NSWIS skier Daisy Thomas made her return from injury, finishing in 26th place.
 
Also in action for Australia was Joey Elliss, 55th in the men’s event.

VIS snowboard halfpipe superstar Scotty James has delivered a career highlight performance under lights at the prestigious Laax Open in Switzerland, winning gold in the World Cup final and leading a memorable double‑podium result, with fellow Aussie and NSWIS rider Valentino Guseli claiming bronze.
 
In the best‑of‑two‑run night final, James opened with a score of 84.00 points on his opening run. He then produced one of the finest performances of his illustrious career, as the last rider of the night and needing a score better than 91 points to win. With a pure pressure performance, James soared to the top of the leaderboard with a spectacular second run scoring 98.75 points. The victory is the eleventh World Cup win of his career, and third consecutive Laax halfpipe title, and fifth triumph at the iconic venue.
 
James began his winning run with a switch frontside triple cork 1440 indy, then a frontside double cork 1260 stalefish, a backside double cork 1080 stalefish, a switch backside double cork 1440 mute, and ended with a backside double cork 1260 mute on the sixth and final hit. The final two trick combination had never been done in competition before.
 
Guseli secured his place on the podium with a strong opening‑run score of 80.25 points, earning the bronze medal, the twelfth World Cup podium of his career. It capped off a big week for Guseli, who balanced halfpipe preparations with a full training load and competition in the slopestyle discipline. Earlier in the day, he placed 17th in the slopestyle semi‑final, just missing the cut for the final.
 
The podium in Laax had a distinct ANZAC flavour, with New Zealand’s Campbell Melville Ives finishing between the two Australians in second place on 91.00 points.
 
“It’s honestly one of my favourite events on the calendar, huge shoutout to Laax, they are a visionary when it comes to freestyle, and they give us the platform to come here and ride every single year and do what we love, “said the 31-year-old James from Warrandyte in Victoria.
 
“To put it down in my last run is a bit of a dream come true and feeling good so I just have to keep it up.
 
“I have been working on some things, and this year is a tough year, its amazing competition, and I want to give a shout out to the ANZAC’s, two Aussies and a Kiwi on the podium which is unbelievable. The Japanese are also riding amazing, so you must put your best foot forward this year to try and get a chance or a sniff of the podium, and I am just grateful to be here, so I am pumped.
 
“We are probably going to be in for one of the most exciting, thrilling and competitive Olympics in history amongst the whole field in the halfpipe, it’s exciting for me and I hope it’s exciting for everyone, and I can’t wait to go to battle with everyone.”
 
Also competing for Australia in the women’s event in Laax were Emily Arthur, who finished 25th, Amelie Haskell in 26th, and Misaki Vaughan in 29th.
 
Next is the X-Games event in Aspen, USA, where James will be aiming to win an incredible fifth straight gold medal.

Men's podium in Laax (top) and Scotty James in qualifying
© David Tributsch & Chad Buchholz

NSWIS snowboarders Meila Stalker and Tess Coady both secured top-six finishes in the World Cup slopestyle event in Aspen, USA, with Stalker achieving a personal-best result fifth place and Coady close behind in sixth.
 
In qualifying for the eight-athlete final, Coady was fourth on 69.98 points and Stalker sixth with 69 points. Ally Hickman missed finals, finishing 26th.
 
Finals were held under sunny skies, where Stalker posted her best score in run one with 51.36 points to claim fifth, while Coady’s top score of 47.85 points, also in run one placed her in sixth.
 
In the men’s competition, Joshua Robertson-Hahn placed 26th, while Valentino Guseli wrapped up a busy week in Aspen by competing in both the halfpipe and slopestyle events, finishing 35th overall. Jesse Parkinson came in 42nd.
 
In the freeski slopestyle event, Joey Elliss was the only Australian in action, finishing in 48th place.
 
The World Cup tour now heads to Laax, Switzerland, for the final Olympic qualification events, with freeski slopestyle event on January 17 and snowboard on January 18.

IMAGE
Meila Stalker launching above the park in Aspen
© FIS/Andrew Wevers

Teenage sensation Indra Brown continued her outstanding debut World Cup season with a fourth-place finish in Aspen, USA, just missing the podium by 3.75 points, but retaining the coveted yellow bib and her lead at the top of the standings.
 
In qualifying, Brown opened with 79.75 points before improving to 86.75 in her second run, advancing to her fourth consecutive World Cup final.
 
Under sunny skies, Brown opened the best-of-two-run final with a strong 85 point performance. In her second run, she looked set for a big score, but sat down on a landing late in the run, with her score from the first run putting her in fourth place.
 
Victory went to Fanghui Li of China with 93 points, followed by Zoe Atkin of Great Britain on 92.75, and Kexin Zhang also of China in third with 88.75.
 
With one World Cup event remaining in Silvaplana, Switzerland, on March 29, Brown leads the standings on 290 points, ahead of Atkin on 260 and Zhang  with 245.
 
“I was super happy, didn’t land my second run which I would have loved to, but that’s how the sport goes,” said the 15-year-old Victorian secondary school student..
 
“I am so happy my family were here, and everyone brought such great stoke at the bottom of the halfpipe.
 
“The first hit was a little slow, starting your run without maximum speed doesn’t help for the rest of the run, but everyone was in the same boat.”
 
Next for Brown will be her X-Games debut in Aspen on January 23.
 
“We have X-Games in two weeks, which I am super excited for. I am taking it week by week, not rush anything or get ahead of myself, taking the steps I need to take to get there and just enjoy the process.”
 
The next event for Brown will be the X-Games, also in Aspen on January 23, where she will make her X-Games debut.