Chris Boline
- Who: The Top Athletes predicted to take home the gold in the Men’s Halfpipe Competition
- What: The The 2022 Winter Olympics Men’s Halfpipe Freestyle Skiing Competition
- When: Thursday, February 17 (qualification) to Saturday, February 19 (finals), 2022
- Where: Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou
Another dynamo Olympic competition, the men’s halfpipe will feature some of the world’s biggest skiing daredevils going head-to-head. With qualifications set for later this week and the finals falling on the Saturday right before the closing ceremonies, this should end the 2022 Winter Olympics with a bang. This competition will feature former Olympic champions, World Champions, X-Games contenders, and also Ski World Cup medalists.
Below, the MTS squad will analyze who the main contenders are and our prediction on who will take home the coveted gold medal.
| Odds to Win Men's Halfpipe |  |
| Nico Porteous (NZL) | +165 |
| Aaron Blunck (USA) | +325 |
| Alex Ferreira (USA) | +450 |
| David Wise (USA) | +600 |
No. 1 Contender: Nico Porteous (NZL) (Odds: +165)
Recognized as New Zealand’s youngest Olympic Games medalist, Porteous is a rising star in the sport and a strong favorite for first place in the competition. He has been especially successful in the halfpipe competition the last couple of years following his bronze medal performance in 2018 at Pyeongchang. Recently, he won the gold medal in the halfpipe at the 2021 World Championships and also back-to-back golds in the superpipe at the 2021 and 2022 Winter X Games. He also has won the top honors for the halfpipe in the Freeski event in the U.S. Grand Prix.
Second Contender: Aaron Blunck (USA) (Odds: +325)
A familiar face in the freestyle halfpipe skiing landscape, Blunck is looking for his big breakthrough in Beijing. Competing for the United States, Blunck was able to secure the gold medal at the 2019 World Championships in Utah in the halfpipe event. Prior to that, he had finished in first place at the 2017 Winter X Games in the SuperPipe. This will be his second Olympic Games, he placed seventh out of 12 athletes in the men’s halfpipe event during the Sochi games in 2014.
Third Contender: Alex Ferreira (USA) (Odds: +450)
The silver medalist from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, Ferreira is a familiar favorite in the freestyling world. He has had a decorated Winter X Games career with gold medal wins in the SuperPipe in 2020 and 2019 and also victories on the Dew Tour (SuperPipe) in 2017, 2018, and most recently, 2021. As far as the FIS World Cup is concerned, Ferreira is the most decorated on this list with gold medal victories in the halfpipe on three different occasions (twice in 2017 and once in 2021). If all goes well, he will certainly be in medal contention at the end of the competition.
Final Contender Spotlight: David Wise (USA) (Odds: +600)
A native of Reno, Nevada, Wise is entering perhaps his final Olympic Games and is looking to cap off his career with another gold medal run. He is the back-to-back Olympic champion in the halfpipe event with victories in 2014 at Sochi and also in 2018 in Pyeongchang. After learning how to ski at Sky Tavern just outside of Reno, Wise has come to dominate the freestyle skiing event at the Olympic level and has also notched gold elsewhere. Over the years, Wise has accrued gold medals at the Winter X Games four times and won a world championship in 2013 in the halfpipe event.
Prediction: In what should be a thrilling competition, a new champion will rise in 2022 with Ferreira taking home his first-ever Olympic gold medal.
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