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Luca Harrington has finished sixth in the men’s Freeski Big Air final, going toe-to-toe with the world’s best in a stacked Olympic showdown under the lights. In a final defined by massive rotations, razor-thin margins and near-flawless execution, the Kiwi threw down some of the biggest tricks of the night but was unable to convert his opening score into a podium finish.
The level of competition was sky-high right from the get-go, with riders throwing down huge rotations — 1800s and 1980s — from the opening drops. The judges would also be looking for amplitude, grab variation and how cleanly those massive tricks could be executed.
Luca Harrington answered in emphatic fashion on his first attempt, posting a huge score of 94. Harnessing his speed perfectly, he launched high into the night sky and spun a switch right-side triple 1980, adding a double grab to increase the degree of difficulty. With massive amplitude and complete control in the air, he stomped the landing deep at the bottom of the jump to get his final underway in style.
With two runs still to come, Harrington had laid down the marker — but knew he would need to back it up and his fellow competitors would be pushing just as hard for a place on the podium. Sure enough, Birk Ruud (NOR) and Mac Forehand (USA) responded with triple cork 2160s, pushing the rotation count even higher. At the end of run one, Harrington sat fourth.
There were several crashes in the opening round, with athletes carrying huge speed and going big but unable to hold their landings. With many riders yet to post complete scores, the leaderboard looked certain to shift over the remaining two runs.
Harrington couldn’t quite hold the landing on his second attempt, going down on a right-side triple cork 1980. It would all come down to run three. Meanwhile, the top three placeholders all had two jumps scored in the 90s.
With everything on the line, the third and final round began. The run order was reversed, meaning the top-ranked riders would drop last. Those first out of the gate laid it all on the line, but the pressure was evident — the opening five competitors were unable to put a clean landing down.
Going for his third hit, Harrington launched into the right-side triple cork 1980, looking stylish in the air and holding on to the grab, but a slight rotation once he hit the snow on landing would cost him all-important points. His score of 66.50 would mean he finished in sixth place.
In an electrifying finish, the medals weren’t decided until the very last jump. Norway’s Tormod Frostad had set the benchmark early with a 95.25 on his first run and an incredible 97 on his second. Mac Forehand then showed remarkable composure under pressure, delivering a near-flawless final jump to score 98.25 out of 100 and move into the lead.
But the night wasn’t over. Last to drop, Frostad responded in stunning fashion, posting a 98.50 to snatch back the top spot and secure the gold medal.
“Nobody can take away from the fact that that was one of the craziest Big Air finals I’ve ever seen," said Harrington after the competition. "Even the qualifications were crazy high, so I knew something big was going to be coming tonight. I’m proud of everyone, and I’m glad we’re all safe, we’re all healthy. A huge shoutout to Mac, Tormod and Matej, those guys skied unbelievable. Of course I wanted to ski a little better and be up on the steps with those guys, but it’s part of our sport, it’s how it goes. I’m still proud of my efforts."
Harrington was looking forward to watching his older brother, Ben, compete in the Freeski Halpipe. “I can’t wait to be there for him 100%. Along with three of my good friends Gustav (Legnavsky), Fin (Melville Ives) and Luke (Harrold). I’m excited for them, I’m honoured to watch them throwdown in the pipe. I’m excited to embrace this event as a spectator rather than an athlete."
Men’s Freeski Big Air medals:
Gold: Tormod Frostad (NOR)
Silver: Mac Forehand (USA)
Bronze: Matej Svancer (AUT)