Lewis Irving and Émile Nadeau “went for it” in men’s aerials final

Two Canadians competed in the men’s aerials final on Friday at Milano Cortina 2026. Lewis Irving finished seventh and Émile Nadeau ninth, with only the top six advancing to the super final.

In the first stage of the final, athletes perform two jumps, with only their best score counting. The top six then move on to perform one jump in the super final.

Irving, the veteran, decided to first attempt a back double full-full-full, a quadruple twisting triple flip. A little back on the landing, he earned 102.26 points, a score he knew would not be enough to place him among the top six.

For his second jump, Irving attempted a more difficult back double full-full-double full with its five twists and three flips. Despite a slightly rough landing, the higher degree of difficulty improved his score to 111.00 points.

“I went for it. I would have regretted it more if I hadn’t tried the five twists. Taking the chance to reach the super final was worth it.

“We knew coming in today that it would take high scores. We couldn’t ski defensively, we had to attack all day,” said Irving, who had placed fourth in qualifying earlier Friday with a score of 117.70.

The 30-year-old explained that he maintained a positive mindset throughout the long competition day.

“These are my third Games. I know the Olympics come with pressure. It’s a very stressful environment, and I didn’t want to add more stress to myself. I spent the day cracking jokes. That helped me stay loose and not overthink it.”

Competing at his second Olympic Games, Nadeau first performed a back full–double full–full, earning 102.21 points after a solid landing.

The 22-year-old then went all-in in an effort to reach the super final, attempting a back full–double full–double full, a quintuple twisting triple flip.

“I was really close to landing it. It was my first time trying that jump—my first quintuple twist. I’m really proud of myself; I exceeded my expectations,” he said, explaining that he had previously performed the jump on water ramps but never in training on snow.

Knowing he would need more than 117 points to advance, Nadeau felt the gamble made sense.

“I didn’t think I had a shot at 117 with my other four-twist jump, so I went all-in,” said Nadeau, who had qualified ninth.

China’s Sun Jiaxu secured the sixth and final spot in the super final with a score of 117.26.

At the conclusion of the event, two Chinese athletes reached the podium, with Wang Xindi winning gold and Li Tianma taking bronze behind Switzerland’s Noe Roth, who earned silver.

Two other Canadians competed in qualifying. Victor Primeau finished 14th, while Miha Fontaine placed 15th.

Athletes had to contend with difficult weather conditions in recent days. In addition to postponing qualifying, heavy snowfall prevented training sessions from taking place. The aerialists went four days without jump training.

“Not being able to jump was tough mentally. Sitting around doing nothing was hard,” said Fontaine. “We only had two training days. I know it was the same for everyone, but it affected me a lot. It’s something I need to improve on—being able to adapt more quickly.”

Primeau, competing in his first Olympic Games, was pleased with the experience.

“It’s incredible to be here and have the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games. I’m enjoying the moment. It’s a learning experience, and I want to be back for the next ones.”

The 22-year-old was named to Team Canada for these Games following the withdrawal of his friend Alexandre Duchaine, who is recovering from a concussion.

Another aerials event remains on the Olympic program. Two of the men will team up with Marion Thénault in the mixed team aerials event, aiming for a podium finish. At Beijing 2022, Canada—represented by Thénault, Irving and Fontaine—won bronze.