Brendan Mackay of Calgary, Alberta is now a world champion. In men’s halfpipe skiing at the 2023 World Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Championships on Saturday from Bakuriani, Georgia, Mackay landed on top of the podium. It was one of three medals won by Canadian athletes as Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Rachael Karker of Guelph, Ontario won the bronze medal in women’s halfpipe skiing and Megan Oldham of Newmarket, Ontario won the bronze medal in women’s big air skiing. Karker won the bronze medal in women’s halfpipe skiing at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
Mackay had a winning score of 97.25 points. Jon Sallinen of Finland won the silver medal with a score of 95.75 points. Alex Ferreira of the United States won the bronze medal with 93 points. Mackay reached the podium by 5.25 points over Canadian Simon D’Artois of Vancouver, British Columbia, who had 92 points in fourth place.
Karker had a third place score of 92.25 points. Hanna Faulhaber of the United States won the gold medal with a score of 95.75 points. Zoe Atkin of Great Britain won the silver medal with a score of 94.5 points. Karker reached the podium by 3.25 points over Kexin Zhang of China, who was in fourth place with 89 points. This was Karker’s second medal at the World Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Championships as she won the silver medal in Aspen, Colorado in 2021 in women’s halfpipe skiing.
Oldham had a third place score of 174 points. Tess Ledeux of France won the gold medal with 186.75 points. Sandra Eie of Norway won the silver medal with 175 points. Oldham reached the podium by three points over Kirsty Muir of Great Britain, who was in fourth place with 171 points. This was Oldham’s third career World Championship medal as she won the silver medal in women’s slopestyle skiing earlier this week in Bakuriani, and a bronze in Aspen in women’s slopestyle skiing in 2021.
In the medal standings at the 2023 World Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Championships, Canada finished in third place with nine medals. They were behind Austria at 13 medals and Switzerland at 10 medals. The medals for Mackay, Karker and Oldham will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
