US Olympic skier opens up on evolution of rivalry with Canada ahead of 2026 Winter Games

Wednesday marks six months until the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. Team USA will renew its winter rivalry with Canada in the first Olympics in a new geopolitical landscape in North America. 

American men’s skiing medalist Alex Ferreira, entering his third Winter Games, told Fox News Digital he has always seen Canada as one of his country’s biggest rivals in his sport, alongside New Zealand. 

“New Zealand and Canada are the two biggest rivals,” Ferreira said, pointing to Canadian Brendan Mackay as one of his top individual rivals.  

“Some of the most intense competitions I’ve had with some of the Canadians was in 2023, the Bakuriani, Georgia, World Championships with Brendan Mackay and myself. Brendan ended up winning. … Brendan skied really great there.” 

But, in 2026, Ferreira believes the rivalry will “probably” burn even hotter, citing the tensions created by recent U.S. tariffs imposed on Canadian goods earlier this year. 

“Probably, because what [President Donald] Trump is saying about the tariffs and everything, I’m sure there’s a bit of rivalry going on there. But, certainly the Canadians, like Brendan is getting better every single day. I myself am training every single day. So, I think we both just really want to win,” Ferreira said. 

“You just want to represent your country as best as possible, and being American, I just, of course, I want to win. They’re our neighbors up north, and they’re great people. But I want to beat them.” 

Ferreira is familiar with the Canadian slopes his rivals use to train. He’s competed at the Windsport Park in Calgary every year in recent years for competitions and the famed ski hills in Whistler.

But Ferreira believes the slopes in Colorado are “more intense” and will give him and the other Americans an advantage when it comes time to compete at Milano Cortina. The men’s skiing competitions will take place at Livigno, which Ferreira claims is more similar to Colorado than Canada. 

“Yeah, definitely [Colorado slopes] are a bit more intense, no question. What I will say is more intense in Canada is definitely the cold. It’s definitely nippy up there. It’s freezing,” Ferreira said. “It certainly can give an advantage because it’s more similar to what’s being held in Milano Cortina, especially in Livigno, where our venue will be held. It’s definitely more similar to Colorado than it is to Canada.” 

Ferreira says he has invited Canadian rivals, including Mackay, to Colorado to train together, and they have invited him to Canada to do the same, but neither side has ever agreed to meet up to do it. 

“I get it. Everyone’s busy. They got their own things going on, and it’s just easier when you train in your own country. So, I totally understand. So, they’ve never taken me up on it, and I’ve actually never taken them up on going up there either,” Ferreira said. 

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Competing in Italy as a Catholic American holds special significance to Ferreira in 2026

As a Catholic American, Ferreira is proud to have seen the first-ever American-born Pope.

“It’s spectacular. It’s never been done before, so it’s certainly a special time,” Ferreira said. 

Ferreira’s devotion to Catholicism dates back to his childhood, and he credits his faith with helping him achieve success in his skiing career. 

“I’ve grown up as a Catholic. I was at first communion and had confirmation,” he said. “I’m religious in the way in believing in the universe and doing everything in your power to put yourself in luck’s way and be a good person and ultimately follow the golden rule, ‘Do unto others how you want to be treated.’

“It benefits my skiing performance because you’re able to put your head on the pillow every night and fall asleep. You’ve got to be able to be a good person and live with yourself everyday because that’s the one person you can’t get away from. So, if you’re being a good person, and you’re doing all the right things, and you’re extending kindness, then it’s easier to train. And it’s easier to focus on your goals. And it’s easier for them to come true, I believe.” 

This Olympic cycle marks a return to meat-eating for Ferreira

Right after finishing his last Olympic performance in Beijing in 2022, Ferreira ended his years-long break from eating meat when he took a bite into a classic American cheeseburger. 

“I had a cheeseburger after a year and a half or two years [away from meat], and it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. And, since then, I just feel a bit stronger,” he said. “I don’t know if I thought it was better for my body. It was just my palate was like, ‘That was delicious, and we’re not leaving that again.’

“I might feel a touch stronger in some ways. I feel like I have more weight on my body in some ways.”

Ferreira ate meat throughout his life, including during his training leading up to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. But he experimented with going meatless and adopting a vegetarian/pescatarian diet in the years leading up to Beijing. 

“The thought process of originally cutting it out was, ‘OK, let’s give this a chance. I’ve heard of some other athletes trying it, like Novak Djokovic and some others.’ And I figured, ‘All right, why not? They’re the best in the world,’ and it worked. It was fine,” Ferreira said. 

“I was definitely lighter weight-wise.”

Still, Ferreira aims to eat a lighter diet overall, and his breakfast is still entirely plant-based.

“For breakfast, it’s always oatmeal, 10 blueberries, Goji berries, cacao nibs, cashew butter, honey and tea. So, any sort of ginger-turmeric tea with honey as well. That’s pretty standard. That’s five to seven days a week.” 

And while Ferreira has abandoned Djokovic’s example of avoiding meat, he still follows another global sports legend, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, in avoiding alcohol altogether.

The Winter Olympics and Paralympics begin in February 2026. More information about the athletes can be found at TeamUSA.com.

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