Canadian freestyle skier MacKay crowned halfpipe world champion

BAKURIANI, Georgia – Brendan MacKay’s gold-medal performance in the men’s halfpipe highlighted a three-medal day for Canada at the world freestyle skiing championships on Saturday.

The 25-year-old from Calgary topped the podium with a score of 97.25, to finish one-and-a-half points ahead of silver medallist Jon Sallinen of Finland. American Alex Ferreira took home bronze.

Rachel Karker, of Guelph, Ont., claimed a bronze medal in the women’s halfpipe with a score of 92.25.

American Hanna Faulhaber, who was second to Karker in qualifying, won gold with 95.75, while Zoe Akin of Great Britain nabbed silver with 94.40.

Megan Oldham, of Parry Sound, Ont, won the bronze medal in the big air competition with a total score of 174, just one point behind silver medallist Sandra Eie of Norway. Tess Ledeux of France grabbed the gold medal with a total score of 186.75.

It was 21-year-old Oldham’s second podium finish at the world championships. On Tuesday, she won silver in women’s slopestyle.

On the men’s side, following strong qualifying performances, Canadians Noah Porter Maclennan (123.75) and Teal Harle (35.00) settled for eighth and 10th place, respectively, in Saturday’s big air final.

American Troy Podmilsak claimed gold with a final score of 187.75, ahead of Austrian Lukas Muellauer (184.50) and Norwegian Birk Ruud (183.50).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2023.