Alex Hall Says Winning Silver At 2026 Winter Olympics Still ‘Special’

Freestyle skier Alex Hall knows just how rare it is to stand on the Olympic podium — which is why earning a silver medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics still felt like a major victory.

The Team USA star, who previously won gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, says he’s been reflecting on the accomplishment in the weeks since the competition wrapped.

“Obviously gold would have been amazing, but I was just so happy to walk away with a medal,” Hall tells OK! during an exclusive chat, as he reflects on his partnership with Rao’s Homemade in celebration of his journey to Milan. “I’m big about being proud of what you’ve done in the past, too. I already have a gold medal, so getting a silver is also really special.”

In freestyle skiing — particularly slopestyle — success can hinge on a matter of seconds, something Hall understands better than most.

“The Olympics is so interesting because you train for four years and then it comes down to like 30 seconds,” he explains. “For those 30 seconds to go your way twice, four years apart, is pretty crazy.”

Despite the pressure of returning as the defending Olympic champion, Hall says he tried to approach the competition with the same mindset that helped him win gold in 2022.

“Coming in, I probably put more pressure on myself just for a medal in general,” he admits. “But once I was there, it just felt like another event. My goal was just to ski my best and have a good time doing it.”

The 26-year-old athlete also partnered with Rao’s Homemade during the Games, a collaboration that celebrates the idea that success — whether it’s a championship run or a perfectly crafted meal — takes patience and dedication over time.

For Hall, skiing has always been about passion first and accolades second.

“My parents met skiing, and my dad especially was a huge skier growing up,” he shares. “Skiing was just our family weekend activity.”

He first hit the slopes when he was just 1 year old and began focusing on freestyle skiing around age 10.

“It was never like I was doing it to become a pro athlete,” Hall says. “I was just going skiing because I loved it.”

That laid-back approach is something he credits his parents for instilling early on.

“My parents never pushed me,” he recalls. “They’d just say, ‘We’re going skiing if you want to come.'”

Competing at the 2026 Games was especially meaningful for Hall because the event took place in Italy — the country where his mother’s side of the family is from.

“My mom’s whole side of the family lives in Italy, so they all came up to watch one of my events,” he says. “Having a big squad there was awesome.”

The skier had also visited the region before growing up, which made the experience feel even more personal.

“It was such a special Olympics,” Hall adds. “Italy is beautiful, and being there with family made it even better.”

While the spotlight that comes with Olympic success can change many athletes’ lives, Hall says he’s tried to stay grounded.

“Success and fame didn’t really change me — I’m still the same person,” he says. “I just like to go skiing. That’s the main reason I do it.”

Now that the Games have wrapped, Hall is already getting back to what he loves most: traveling, filming ski content and spending time on the mountain.

But he’s also embracing a slower pace in between competitions — something that mirrors the philosophy behind his partnership with Rao’s Homemade.