Freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics

Governing body	FIS
Events	15 (men: 7; women: 7; mixed: 1)
Games
1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Note: demonstration or exhibition sport years indicated in italics
Medalists

Freestyle skiing is an exciting sport that has been a part of the Winter Olympic Games since the 1992 Winter Games held in Albertville, France. It combines the thrill of skiing with amazing acrobatic moves and speed, making it a favorite for many fans.

Freestyle Skiing at the Winter Olympics
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Freestyle Skiing at the Winter Olympics

Freestyle skiing has grown a lot since it first appeared at the Olympics. It started with just a couple of events and has expanded to include many different challenges for skiers. For example, in the 1992 Winter Olympics, there were only 2 freestyle skiing events, but by the 2026 Winter Olympics, there were 15 events! This shows how popular and diverse the sport has become. Countries like Canada and China have often shown strong performances in freestyle skiing over the years.

The Journey of Freestyle Skiing

Before becoming a full medal sport, freestyle skiing was first shown as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Winter Olympics. This means it was presented to the audience and Olympic committee, but no medals were awarded. During these games, three types of events were showcased: moguls, aerials, and ballet.

The sport officially joined the medal program at the 1992 Winter Olympics when moguls became an event where athletes could win medals. Aerials and ballet were still demonstration events at that time.

By the 1994 Winter Olympics, aerials also became an official medal event. The ski ballet competition, however, was no longer part of the Olympic program.

New and exciting events continued to be added. For the 2010 Winter Olympics, ski cross was introduced, bringing fast-paced races to the snow. Then, at the 2014 Winter Olympics, half-pipe and slopestyle were added, showcasing incredible tricks and creativity.

A famous moment in freestyle skiing history happened when Alexandre Bilodeau from Canada became the first freestyle skier to win two Olympic gold medals in the same event. He won the men's moguls at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and successfully defended his title at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

More recently, Big air skiing was added to the program at the 2022 Winter Olympics, and dual moguls became an official event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. A new mixed team aerials event also debuted in 2022, allowing male and female skiers to compete together.

Exciting Freestyle Skiing Events

Freestyle skiing includes many different events, each testing skiers' skills in unique ways. Here's a look at the main events you'll see at the Winter Olympics:

Men's Events

Moguls: Skiers race down a bumpy course, performing two aerial jumps. This event became official in 1992.
Aerials: Skiers launch off large jumps, performing spectacular flips, twists, and spins high in the air before landing. This event became official in 1994.
Ski cross: Four to six skiers race head-to-head down a course filled with jumps, rollers, and turns. The first to cross the finish line wins! This event became official in 2010.
Half-pipe: Skiers perform a series of acrobatic tricks as they go back and forth between the two walls of a U-shaped snow structure. This event became official in 2014.
Slopestyle: Skiers navigate a course with various obstacles like jumps, rails, and boxes, performing creative tricks on each feature. This event became official in 2014.
Big air: Skiers launch off a massive jump to perform a single, incredibly difficult trick in the air. This event became official in 2022.
Dual Moguls: Two skiers race side-by-side down identical mogul courses, performing jumps and navigating bumps. This event became official in 2026.

Women's Events

Moguls: Just like the men's event, women skiers race down a bumpy course with two aerial jumps. This event became official in 1992.
Aerials: Women perform amazing flips and twists after launching from jumps. This event became official in 1994.
Ski cross: Women also compete in thrilling head-to-head races down a challenging course. This event became official in 2010.
Half-pipe: Women showcase their acrobatic skills and tricks in the U-shaped half-pipe. This event became official in 2014.
Slopestyle: Women demonstrate their creativity and skill by performing tricks on various obstacles on the course. This event became official in 2014.
Big air: Women also take on the big jump to perform impressive single tricks. This event became official in 2022.
Dual Moguls: Women compete in side-by-side races on the mogul course. This event became official in 2026.

Mixed Team Events

Team Aerials: This exciting event involves teams made up of both male and female skiers who perform aerial jumps together. Their scores are combined for a team total. This event became official in 2022.

Top Medal Winners

Many countries have won medals in freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics. After the 2022 Winter Olympics, some of the nations with the most medals include:

Canada: With 12 gold, 12 silver, and 6 bronze medals.
United States: With 11 gold, 13 silver, and 9 bronze medals.
Switzerland: With 6 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals.
China: With 5 gold, 8 silver, and 4 bronze medals.
Australia: With 4 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze medals.
Norway: With 4 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals.
Belarus: With 4 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals.
France: With 3 gold, 6 silver, and 6 bronze medals.