Bold claim: Megan Oldham’s triumph at the Olympics isn’t just a win—it’s a story of resilience turning into gold. And here’s the twist most people overlook: underneath the smile lies a fighter who faced a long, grueling road to the podium. Canadian freestyle skier Megan Oldham clinched gold in women’s big air at Livigno Snow Park, overcoming a 75-minute weather delay and a serious concussion that sidelined her just months earlier. The 24-year-old from Parry Sound, Ontario had already earned bronze in slopestyle, rebounding from a heavy crash on her second run on February 9.
Oldham led after the opening two runs, with the best two of three counts determining the final score, and she secured gold before stepping into her final run as the last competitor. Her combined score reached 180.75, anchored by a first-round 91.75—the night’s highest single effort. Chinese standout Eileen Gu finished second with 179.00, while Italy’s Flora Tabanelli earned bronze at 178.25. Great Britain’s Kirsty Muir placed fourth at 174.75, narrowly missing the podium, and Naomi Urness of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, finished sixth at 168.75.
Oldham now accounts for two of Canada’s 11 medals at these Games, including one of its two golds. “Honestly, this Olympics has far surpassed my dreams,” she said. “I came here hoping for one medal, and to leave with gold is something I never imagined.”
Her journey hasn’t been easy. A concussion suffered during November training kept her out of action for weeks, and she doesn’t recall the hospital visit or the CT scan from that day. After four weeks at home with limited activity, she returned to training and faced immense pressure as the Games approached. Yet she kept pushing, acknowledging the mental battles she fought in addition to the physical recovery.
For Oldham, redemption has been a throughline of these Games. Four years earlier in Beijing, she narrowly missed the big air podium with a fourth-place finish and was just shy of the slopestyle final. “Coming off Beijing, that was heartbreak,” she said. “I knew I was among the top athletes, but being just off the podium was tough. This time, I was determined to change that.”
The final’s start was delayed by a sudden snowstorm, forcing crews to clear the course with shovels and portable snowblowers. Once action resumed, Oldham, the top qualifier, delivered a nervy but powerful performance. She opened with a switch double 1260, followed by a double cork 1260. Rather than bask in a potential victory lap on her final run, she attempted her boldest move—a switch double 1440 mute grab—but fell. The decision to alter the order earlier due to unpredictable conditions meant she still carried a noteworthy trick in her back pocket, a plan that paid off in the end. Coach J.F. Cusson noted the shift in strategy: Oldham was prepared to unleash the big tricks later, after securing a safer opening slate given the conditions.
Oldham’s path to freestyle skiing began in more than a little unconventional fashion. A former gymnast and figure skater, she found the sport through her two brothers. She recalls a childhood rooftop approach—climbing onto the garage roof to ski off it, an adventure that reportedly left her father impressed and a bit anxious about potential damage to the house.
Big air is a high-risk, high-reward discipline. Athletes accelerate down a 40-degree slope from a 55-metre jump, reaching roughly 50 km/h as they launch from a five-metre kicker, performing complex tricks judged on difficulty, execution, amplitude, and landing. The course at Livigno stretches nearly 170 metres and has taken a toll on competitors. Notably, two-time slopestyle champion Mathilde Gremaud was stretchered off after a hip injury during training prior to the final, and Switzerland’s Anouk Andraska withdrew due to a wrist injury.
Eileen Gu, who was born in the United States to an American father and Chinese mother, extended her Olympic medal tally to five with two silvers at these Games and has the potential to add more in freeski events. Gu’s Beijing performance—winning gold in big air and halfpipe, along with silver in slopestyle—made history as the first freestyle skier to medal three times at a single Games when she was just 18.
Tabanelli, the defending world champion and Crystal Globe holder, competed with a torn ACL after opting for rehab rather than surgery to pursue these Olympics, though the knee issue ultimately prevented her from slopestyle. Oldham herself admitted she was nursing pain after the slopestyle crash, with a hematoma on her quads contributing to stiffness during the early big air sessions. Still, she persevered and showcased her skiing prowess when it counted most.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on February 16, 2026, with additional input from The Associated Press.
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