Canada's McEachran misses podium in Olympic debut of men's big air skiing

Canada's Evan McEachran placed ninth in the Olympic debut of men's big air skiing on Wednesday in Beijing.

After sitting in second following a triple cork that led to a 93-point first run, the Oakville, Ont., native was unable to land either of his next two jumps, dashing any hopes of reaching the podium.

Norway's Birk Ruud won gold with a combined best score of 187.75. American Colby Stevenson took silver at 183, while Sweden's Henrik Harlaut rounded out the podium with a score of 181.

Each athlete is given three jumps, with the best two combined scores determining their final total.

Ruud achieved his score in just two runs. As the final skier and with the gold medal already clinched, he took a victory run with the Norwegian flag in hand and still landed a no-pressure bio 1440 for his final trick. He wrapped the flag around himself at the bottom of the hill at the Big Air Shougang venue — a shuttered steel mill that now hosts the world's only permanent big air jump.

McEachran, 24, will also compete in ski slopestyle, which begins on Feb. 13. The Canadian placed sixth in the event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

He qualified for big air in 11th on Monday after finishing fifth at the 2021 world championships.

Reigning world champion Oliwer Magnusson of Sweden, who is back for his second Olympics, narrowly missed the podium in fourth.

McEachran's bounceback

McEachran suffered two of the worst crashes of his career just a couple weeks ago at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo.

"I had a pretty big mental block, honestly, on both those tricks I did today," McEachran told The Canadian Press. "I'm just happy I was able to go out there and give it a go a couple of times and land on my feet and not get injured.

"Unfortunately, it was an inches game. I think if I put down that second one and hadn't fallen over, could've ended up on the podium. So it's a tough pill to swallow. This event happens once every four years."

In the qualifying round in Beijing, he didn't attempt those tricks, doing just enough to qualify for the 12-skier final.

"So, to get up from those and move forward and come here and reset I think is a huge accomplishment in itself for me. And I'm really proud of that," he said.

The skiers put on a show in the Olympic debut of big air.

"I think we showed the world what we're all capable of, and how much we enjoy it, and how we're all just so happy for each other all the time," said McEachran, clutching a beer in one hand, almost out of sight. "Everyone's at the bottom cheering everyone on, at the top, so happy when everyone lands a new trick.

"It's not a crazy rivalry in the sport, which I think is part of the reason that I love it, and I'm so passionate about it. We had a good mix of crazy technical tricks, stuff we've never seen before. And then also some super stylish, fun tricks that I think will bring more people into the sport and hopefully grow it as a whole and get more people into it in the future."

Repurposed steel mill

The big air competition was held at the world's first permanent, city-based big air facility, a repurposed steel mill on the west side of Beijing that's made a stunning backdrop for one of the Games' newest sports.

The 200-foot big air structure was built on the site of the former Shougang Group steel mill, China's first state-owned plant that helped the country become a world leader in steel production. Its billowing smokestacks provided work for thousands but also darkened the sky over Beijing's Shijingshan District, contributing to the city's air pollution problem.

China closed the factory in conjunction with the 2008 Summer Games, seeking to clean up its image, as well as its air.

Rusting factories and machinery remain, but the space between has been filled by grassy lawns, glassy ponds and a good deal of greenery.

It's central to China's efforts to encourage 300 million people to participate in winter sports in conjunction with these Games. Facilities were carved into the complex's infrastructure to help Chinese athletes train in short track speed skating, figure skating, ice hockey and curling. The Beijing Organizing Committee is even based out of the park's offices.

WATCH l Full replay of men's ski big air final:

Straying from the normal is what sets freestyle skier Evan McEachran apart

3 years ago

Duration 1:55

Sneaking away from traditional skiing at a young age to explore the rails while staying home to train in Ontario has made Evan McEachran’s journey to the Olympics different, but what sets him apart most is his performance on the slopes.