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Wednesday marks six months until the beginning of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina. The United States team will renew its winter rivalry with Canada in the first Olympic Games in a new geopolitical landscape in North America.
The ski medalist of American men, Alex Ferreira, entering his third winter games, told Fox Digital that he has always seen Canada as one of his country’s greatest rivals in his sport, along with New Zealand.
“New Zealand and Canada are the two greatest rivals,” said Ferreira, pointing to Canadian Brendan Mackay as one of his main individual rivals.
“Some of the most intense competitions I have had with some of the Canadians were in 2023, the World Bakuriani championships, Georgia, with Brendan Mackay and I. Brendan ended up winning … Skendan really great skiing there.”
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But, in 2026, Ferreira believes that the rivalry “probably” will burn even more, citing the tensions created by the recent rates of the United States imposed on Canadian products earlier this year.
“Probably, because what [President Donald] Trump says about the rates and everything, I’m sure there is a little rivalry there. But, certainly, the Canadians, as Brendan, is improving every day. I am training every day. So, I think we both really want to win, “said Ferreira.
“You just want to represent your country as well as possible, and be American, I alone, of course, I want to win. They are our neighbors in the north, and they are great people. But I want to beat them.”
Alex Ferreira of the United States won the bronze medal during the World Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World championship on March 30, 2025, in Engadin, Switzerland. (Millo Moravski/Agite Zoom/Getty Images)
Ferreira is familiar with the Canadian slopes that their rivals use to train. He has competed in the Windsport Park in Calgary every year in recent years for competitions and famous ski hills in Whistler.
But Ferreira believes that the slopes in Colorado are “more intense” and will already give him the other Americans an advantage when the time comes to compete in Milano Cortina. The ski competitions of men will take place in Livigno, which Ferreira states that it is more similar to Colorado than in Canada.
“Yes, definitely [Colorado slopes] They are a bit more intense, there is no doubt. What I will say is more intense in Canada is definitely cold. It is definitely Nippy up there. It’s ice cream, “said Ferreira.” It can certainly give an advantage because it is more similar to what is celebrated in Milano Cortina, especially in light, where our place will take place. It is definitely more similar to Colorado than Canada. ”
Ferreira says that he has invited the Canadian rivals, including Mackay, Colorado to train together, and have invited Canada to do the same, but none of the parties has agreed to meet to do so.
“I understand it. Everyone is busy. They have their own things that happen, and it is easier when you train in your own country. So, I understand it totally. So, they have never taken me, and I have never taken them when I get there,” said Ferreira.
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Compete in Italy as a Catholic American has a special meaning for Ferreira in 2026
As a Catholic American, Ferreira is proud to have seen the first Pope born in the United States.
“It’s spectacular. It has never been done before, so it is certainly a special moment,” said Ferreira.
Ferreira’s devotion to Catholicism goes back to his childhood, and he accredits his faith in helping him achieve success in his skiing career.
“I’ve grown up as a Catholic. I was at first communion and I had confirmation,” he said. “I am religious on the way to believe in the universe and do everything that is in your power to put you in luck and be a good person and, ultimately, follow the golden rule,” make others how you want to be treated. “
“It benefits my ski performance because you can put your head on the pillow every night and fall asleep. You must be a good person and live with yourself every day because that is the only person you cannot get away. Then, if you are being a good person, and you are doing everything right, and it is easier to train. And it is easier to concentrate on your goals.
This Olympic cycle marks a return to eat meat for Ferreira
Just after finishing his last Olympic performance in Beijing in 2022, Ferreira finished his rest of the years of eating meat when he gave a bite to a classic American cheese hamburger.
“I had a cheese hamburger after a year and a half or two years [away from meat]And it was the most delicious I have eaten. And, since then, I feel a little stronger, “he said.” I don’t know if I thought it was better for my body. It was just that my palate was like, ‘that was delicious, and we won’t leave it again.’
“I could feel a stronger touch in some way. I feel that I have more weight in my body in some way.”
Ferreira ate flesh throughout his life, even during his training prior to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games. But he experienced to go without meat and adopt a vegetarian/fisherman diet in the years before Beijing.
The bronze medalist Alex Ferreira, of the United States, poses with his national flag on the podium after the Final Halfipe de Freeski of Skiy Freestyle Freeski during the Beijing 2022 Winter Games at the Genting Snow Park H&S stadium in Zhangjiakou on February 19, 2022. (Marco Bertorello/AFP through Getty Images)
“The thinking process of cutting it originally was: ‘Ok, we are going to give it a chance. I have heard of other athletes that try, such as Novak Djokovic and some others.’ And I thought:” Very good, why not?
“It was definitely lighter in terms of weight.”
Even so, Ferreira aims to eat a lighter diet in general, and his breakfast is still completely based on plants.
“For breakfast, it is always an oatmeal, 10 blueberries, goji berries, cocoa tips, anacardo butter, honey and tea. Then, any type of ginger-tender tea with honey. That is quite standard. That is five to seven days a week.”
And although Ferreira has abandoned Djokovic’s example of avoiding meat, he still follows another world sports legend, the Christian football star Ronaldo, to avoid alcohol completely.
Winter’s Olympic and Paralympic Games begin in February 2026. You can find more information about athletes at Teamusa.com.
