Indra Brown, the 16-year-old Australian halfpipe skier, finished fifth in the women's halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, marking the best result by an Australian teenager since Jakara Anthony's fourth place in moguls at PyeongChang 2018. Brown's performance also represents the highest finish ever by an Australian under voting age.
Brown, who had been scheduled to compete at the FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships in Calgary, rearranged her travel plans to focus on the Olympic final. Her fifth-place finish is the lowest she has achieved in senior competition, highlighting her rapid rise since November, when she had never competed in a senior FIS World Cup event. Within months, she had won three medals, including her maiden title at the Calgary Snow Rodeo, and an X-Games silver medal.
Despite her disappointment at missing a medal, Brown expressed pride in her performance. 'To be able to land three runs at the Olympics is pretty special,' she said. 'To just show everyone what I can do and give a good show, I hope, for everyone, was pretty special.'
Brown faced harsh judging on her first run, scoring 65.00, but improved to 87.00 in her final run, completing a left cork 10 safety switch. She was one of only two skiers, alongside Gu Ailing, to land a 1080 in the competition. The final standings saw Gu Ailing take gold with 94.75, Li Fanghui silver with 93.00, and Zoe Atkin bronze with 92.50.
After her final run, Brown was embraced by gold medalist Gu Ailing, who earlier said she saw herself in the young Australian. Brown will now travel to Canada for the junior world championships, aiming to gain experience and confidence for the next Olympic cycle.
