Indiana's Nick Goepper knocked out of bronze medal on final run of Olympic freestyle halfpipe

Nick Goepper from Lawrenceburg, Indiana, the only Hoosier in the Winter Olympics, was knocked out of bronze medal position on the final run of the freestyle skiing halfpipe competition Friday.

Goepper was near the end of what was considered a gold medal performance — on his third and final run — but he hit the top of the pipe on the way down from his final trick. He fell to the bottom and stayed down for a few minutes while attended to by medical personnel. Goepper walked off.

In the final run, Brendan Mackay of Canada eclipsed Goepper's score. The best score of the athletes' three runs is what counts.

Goepper could have become the first American to win an individual medal at four different Winter Olympics.

Goepper won a bronze medal in 2014 and silver medals in 2018 and 2022 in freeski slopestyle. He came out of retirement and changed disciplines.

Goepper finished second Friday morning in qualifying for the finals. Qualifying was on the same day as the final because of a weather postponement Thursday.

Goepper's first run in the final started promising, but he fell toward the end.

Goepper completed his second run with a score of 89, vaulting him into bronze medal position.