Ireland’s Ben Lynch has finished eighth in the Winter Olympics final of the freestyle skiing halfpipe, with a top score of 75.00 in the final run, just short of his top score and personal best of 75.75 in qualifying.
Lynch had become the first Irish skier to qualify for a Winter Olympics final after finishing 11th in the qualifiers. His result marks one of the strongest Olympic performances by an Irish winter athlete to date.
The 23-year-old was fourth after the first run despite falling, but his position was more due to others falling also on the first of three runs.
He improved on his second run, also stumbling, before a clean third run saw him score his best 75.00 and secure an impressive top eight finish.
RM Block
Born in Rathmines, Dublin, Lynch moved to Canada aged two and is now based in Calgary, where he trains under coach Rex Thomas.
US skier Alex Ferreira won gold with 93.75, Estonia’s Henry Sildaru won silver with 93.00 and Canada’s Brendan Mackay won bronze with 91.00.
“Eight has always been my lucky number, to finish eighth, my stars have aligned,” Lynch said.
“The third run, I was really nervous at the top. I felt very prepared but obviously the nerves were on. Everyone was watching and I hadn’t landed my first two runs. I just tried really hard to focus on the run and not focus on the result, ended up landing it pretty much as good as I possibly could have, I’m really excited.”
Before the Olympics, Lynch’s best score had been around the 60s in World Cups, so the qualifying and final saw a big improvement in his performance.
“These are the best scores I’ve ever got, I’m so stoked.
“I think the preparation was a big reason, I have had my eyes on the Olympics since October, I had a strict plan to be prepared.
“I came here not expecting to make the final, my goal was to get top 15, so to make the final was incredible, I’m so happy all my hard work has paid off, and here I am.”
Ferreira completed his collection of Olympic medals with the win, having won halfpipe bronze at Beijing 2022 and silver at Pyeongchang 2018.
“Best moment of my life. Easily. Easily. Blown out of the water. Not even close,” he said, adding that the second best moment was meeting his girlfriend.
The son of a professional soccer player from Argentina, Ferreira lists Lionel Messi – rather than any other freeskier – as his sporting hero.
“This is going to be my last go at things and I’m giving it everything that I possibly have. So I’m praying to my idol Messi. I know he’s with me,” he told Olympics.com this week.
In halfpipe, riders slide across a U-shaped snow ramp and perform acrobatics in the air. They are awarded points based on height, difficulty, variety of tricks, and other factors.
