Freestyle skier Liam Richards dedicated a dream Olympic debut to his best friend after watching him get stretchered off the halfpipe at Milano Cortina 2026.
The 18-year-old was getting ready to drop in for his second run in Livigno when world champion Finley Melville Ives of New Zealand suffered a nasty crash and had to receive medical attention.
Richards hails from Surrey but lives in New Zealand and is close friends with 19-year-old Melville Ives.
And fuelled by his concern, Richards stepped up and produced a run he was proud of, and hoped Melville Ives could be proud of too.
"I just watched one of my best friends take a pretty heavy slam, so I just wanted to go out there and ski for him," he said. "It was tough to watch, for sure, so I hope he's all good."
Following his first run, Richards simply shrugged his shoulders, but it was a different tale on his second as the teenager let out a roar after landing the performance of his Olympic dreams.
Britain's youngest competitor at this Games dropped in for his first with a score of 54.50, pushing an impressive double cork 1260 on his fourth hit despite losing speed higher up the course.
He backed it up with a score of 61.00 but it wasn't enough to jump the standings and he missed out on a maiden Olympic final in 17th.
"I'm super excited to be here," he said.
"It's been a dream of mine to do this run and compete here.
"I could have maybe done the alley-oop double at the end, but to be honest, it's been a while since I've done it, so I'm super happy to just land a run and be that close.
"There was just nothing to lose."
Melville Ives' crash is just part in parcel with the extreme sport of freestyle skiing.
A halfpipe wall stands at over seven metres tall, meaning that coming down on it can be nasty even at the best of times.
But it's the risk they take to reach the adrenaline highs of the sport according to Richards.
"It's what we live for, to be honest," he said.
"The adrenaline that comes out of landing the runs and landing new tricks, it's the best feeling in the world.
"Obviously, we do risk ourselves, but we signed up for that, and I think what comes out of it, the adrenaline, is the best thing ever, and it makes it all worth it."
Team GB teammate Gus Kenworthy finished ninth in qualifying and progressed to the evening's final.
Sportsbeat 2026