At the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, Canada led all nations with seven freestyle skiing medals. Four years earlier at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Canada also led all countries with nine freestyle skiing medals.
Canada’s best chance for freestyle gold at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, will be Mikael Kingsbury of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec in men’s moguls. Kingsbury won Olympic silver in Sochi, and then Olympic gold in Pyeongchang. Considered the best mogulist of all-time, he has a remarkable 101 World Cup medals and six World Championship gold medals. Kingsbury is expected to be in the men’s superfinal in moguls on Saturday at 4:40 a.m. MT. However, it is not a slam dunk Kingsbury will win gold. That is because Ikuma Horishima of Japan has beaten Kingsbury this year in World Cups in Sweden, France, and the United States.
Canada once again has a lot of depth in ski cross. Among the Canadian skiers are reigning Olympic champion Brady Leman of Calgary, 2014 Olympic gold medalist Marielle Thompson of North Vancouver, British Columbia, reigning Olympic silver medalist Brittany Phelan of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec, and 2021 World Cup champion Reece Howden of Chilliwack, British Columbia. The women’s Olympic ski cross big final will be on February 17 at 12:15 a.m. MT. The men’s Olympic ski cross big final will be on February 18 at 12:15 a.m. MT.
In halfpipe, Canada will be led by Calgary’s Brendan Mackay in the men’s competition (February 19 at 7:25 p.m. MT) and Rachael Karker of Guelph, Ontario in the women’s competition (February 18 at 7:25 p.m. MT). Mackay is the current World Cup leader, while Karker is the reigning World Championship silver medalist. Also, Cassie Sharpe of Calgary, is the reigning Olympic champ.
In big air skiing (February 8 at 7:45 p.m. MT), which will make its Olympic debut, Elena Gaskell of Vernon, British Columbia won a World Cup bronze in Chur, Switzerland in October in women’s action. Meanwhile in women’s slopestyle skiing (February 14 at 7:24 p.m. MT), Megan Oldham of Newmarket, Ontario is the reigning World Championship bronze medalist.
