MILAN – Freestyle skiing icon Mikaël Kingsbury has delivered Canada’s first gold medal of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, securing a historic victory in the men’s dual moguls. On Sunday, February 15, the 33-year-old from Deux-Montagnes, Quebec, dominated the competition in an event making its Olympic debut. By winning this gold, Kingsbury has cemented his status as the greatest freestyle skier of all time, bringing his career Olympic medal count to five, which includes two golds and three silvers across four different Games.
In a highly anticipated final, Kingsbury faced his longtime rival, Ikuma Horishima of Japan. The Canadian legend displayed remarkable technical precision and composure, ultimately defeating Horishima with a commanding score of 31–4. While Horishima struggled with his turns and missed the final jump, Kingsbury skied a near-flawless run to claim the top spot on the podium. Australia’s Matt Graham took home the bronze, rounding out a podium notably composed entirely of athletes who are also fathers.
This victory served as a moment of redemption for Kingsbury, who earlier in these Games had to settle for a silver medal in the traditional individual moguls. In that event, he finished in a rare tie with Australia’s Cooper Woods but lost the gold after a tiebreaker based on turn scores. Following his dual moguls win, an emotional Kingsbury celebrated by tapping the Maple Leaf on his jacket, a gesture that resonated with fans as he had also served as Canada’s flag bearer during the opening ceremony.
With over 100 World Cup victories to his name, Kingsbury has indicated that the 2026 Games in Milan will likely be his final Olympic appearance. He described winning the inaugural dual moguls gold as the “cherry on top” of a legendary career that has spanned over a decade of dominance. As the oldest competitor in the field, his victory not only secured Canada’s place on the gold medal table but also ensured that one of the nation’s most celebrated athletes finishes his Olympic journey at the very pinnacle of the sport.
