​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.

​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). 

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.

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.

Melbourne teenager Indra Brown has continued her incredible World Cup debut halfpipe season with her first gold medal performance in Calgary, Canada. Brown now boasts three consecutive podium finishes since her debut in early December, making it one of the most impressive starts to a career at her age in winter sports history.
 
Brown claimed bronze on debut in China in early December, followed by silver in the USA before Christmas, and now gold in Canada. Her victory equals a record set by Sweden’s Jennie-Lee Burmansson during the 2017–2018 season, when Burmansson, also 15 at the time, opened her World Cup slopestyle career with a second, first, and third-place finish.
 
Brown also made history for Australia becoming the first Australian skier to claim three Freeski Halfpipe World Cup podiums, surpassing Davina Williams and Amy Sheehan, who both had two.
 
In a best-of-two-run final under light snow and flat light conditions, Brown opened strongly with a score of 85.20 points that no skier was able to match.
 
Her podium run included a leftside 900 safety grab, rightside 900 safety grab, leftside 720 safety grab, switch rightside 540, switch leftside 360 mute grab and finished with an alley-oop 360 japan grab.
 
China’s Kexin Zhang claimed silver with 84.20 points, while American Svea Irving took bronze on 83.20.
 
Brown commented after the event:
 
“The visibility in qualifying was really challenging, so I dialled things back a bit just to do enough to make finals, without taking too many risks. The conditions for finals were great, so I was super happy to ski how I did.
 
“Calgary is so special to me, this is where I first tried skiing halfpipe, and I have the most wonderful friends here. The atmosphere in Calgary is amazing, and so fun to embrace this whole snow rodeo theme here.”
 
“My coach Jaime Melton is such a legend, he's been a huge support in all areas and especially making sure I don't focus on the result, but instead focus on visualising and executing my runs how I want to execute them.
 
This start to my World Cup career has been such a thrill, self-belief is really important in helping me execute my runs, drawing on all the hard work and preparation I put in, helps me give the confidence I need to ski how I hope to.
 
“The pipe is always built so well in Aspen, and so fun to ski, and I can’t wait to get back competing and having a great time with such an amazing group of athletes.”
 
The victory sees Brown move into first place on the World Cup standings with 240 points, ahead of Zhang (185) and Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin (180), who did not compete in Calgary.
 
Two World Cup halfpipe events remain this season: Aspen, USA, on January 10, and the World Cup Final in Silvaplana, Switzerland, on March 29, following the Olympics.

TOP - Indra Brown with men's event winner Nick Goepper of the USA 
BOTTOM - Indra Brown flying high in the Calgary Halfpipe
© FIS/Preston Peterson

15-year-old Indra Brown has continued her remarkable World Cup debut, securing back-to-back medals with a silver medal in the freeski halfpipe at Copper Mountain, USA. The result improves on her bronze medal from last week’s debut in China and confirms her status as the youngest Aussie to land on a winter sports world Cup podium.
 
In a best-of-two-run final under tricky flat light at the Colorado resort, Brown opened strongly with a score of 80 points, placing her in second position. She looked set to improve in her final run but crashed while attempting a new trick on the last jump, holding on to the silver medal.
 
Her podium run included a leftside 900, rightside 900, leftside 720, switch rightside 540, switch leftside 720 and finished with an alley-oop, with grabs in all but one jump.
 
The gold medal went to Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin with 89.25 points, while China’s Kexin Chang claimed bronze on 77.50 points.
 
“Fortunately, I was able to stay calm and positive, trust my training and remind myself to have fun out there,” said the Melbourne high school student.
 
“The halfpipe shape was definitely different to China, so it took me a while to adapt, but really stoked I was able to put it together today.
 
“That slam definitely gave me a fright today, thankfully I'm all ok and the bodies in good shape.
 
“I have a few more days here in Copper, before a few days off for Christmas, where we're driving up to Revelstoke to ski some powder with family and some great friends. Then we are off to Calgary and then Aspen for the next World Cups.
 
“No plans have changed in my preparation, but there are loads of things I want to work on, so hopefully I can keep progressing.”
 
Brown now sits second in the World Cup standings with 140 points, trailing Atkin (180) and ahead of Chang (105).
 
Her next event will be the Calgary World Cup on January 3, as she looks to continue her incredible start to the season.

Teenage sensation Indra Brown has delivered a historic debut performance for Australian winter sports, claiming a bronze medal in the freeski halfpipe at Secret Garden, China. At just 15 years of age, Brown becomes the youngest Australian ever to secure a World Cup podium finish.
 
Competing at the 2022 Olympic Games venue e, Brown impressed from the outset, qualifying for her first World Cup final in fourth place with a score of 85 points.
 
In challenging winter conditions during the best-of-two-run final, the Melbourne high school student displayed composure beyond her years, producing two strong performances. Her opening run earned 82 points, securing third place and cementing her place in the history books.
 
Brown sets the record at 15 years and 10 months, eclipsing snowboarders Torah Bright and Valentino Guseli who both podiumed at age 16 years and 11 months.
 
Her podium run included a leftside 900, rightside 900, leftside 720, switch rightside 540, switch leftside 360 and finished with an alley-oop 360 with grabs in each jump.
 
The gold medal went to Chinese superstar  2022 Olympic champion Eileen Gu with a score of 91.75, while Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin claimed silver with 90.25 points.
 
“To podium in my first World Cup is an incredible feeling, especially to be able to share it with my idols” said Brown.
 
“I was able to keep my composure in the tough conditions today by staying calm and remind myself of what I need to do to land my run.
 
“It's a dream come true to share the podium with such incredible athletes and it's a moment I'll never forget
 
“The support from home has been amazing, I've loved staying connected with everyone and seeing all the messages from friends, family and supporters.
 
“My next event is the Copper Mountain World Cup in Colorado starting in a few days.”