Source: Radio New Zealand
New Zealand’s Ben Harrington reacts after competing in the freestyle skiing men’s freeski halfpipe qualification during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, in Livigno, Italy. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP
Ben Harrington has qualified for the Men’s Freeski Halfpipe final after a tense finish to the second run at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
Harrington led the Kiwi contingent after a clean first run saw him sitting at 9th. He dropped to 12th place during the second run, meaning a nervous wait for all the other athletes to finish competing, with only the top 12 progressing to the final.
Knowing he had made the finals was “an insane feeling”, he said.
“My biggest goal was just to come out and land some runs. I had knee surgery just over a year ago, so it was a mission to get back here but we did it.”
Speaking into the cameras, Harrington dedicated his second run to teammate, Fin Melville Ives, who had his own final hopes dashed after a fall saw him stretchered off the snow.
“Finski, that was for you, brother,” Harrington said.
Melville Ives was the first competitor to drop into the halfpipe but lost a ski in both runs, putting him at 24th.
The New Zealand Olympic Team provided an update on his condition in a social media post shortly after the event.
“Fin is with his family and being assessed by medical professionals. He is stable and positive.”
Fellow Kiwis Gustav Legnavsky and Luke Harrold also failed to qualify, ranking 14th and 15th respectively.
Harrold’s first run saw him in contention for the finals after he placed 11th, but run two saw him lose a ski.
“It was a tough day out there,” he said. “Training went well but, unfortunately, I couldn’t put down the run I wanted to in the two runs. I just want to say thanks to everyone who supported me through my whole journey, it’s been pretty incredible. I couldn’t put it down today for you guys but I know I will eventually.”
Legnavsky lost a ski on his first run, and a clean second run was not enough to lift him into the top 12.
“I’m pretty bummed … I have more, I know I have more.”
The event involves competitors performing a series of tricks while skiing down a semi-cylindrical slope.
New Zealand’s Nico Porteous won gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand