In a heartwarming display of sibling success, Svea and Birk Irving of Winter Park have given their family double the reason to celebrate after both athletes claimed bronze medals at the Calgary Snow Rodeo World Cup halfpipe competition in early January 2026.

The talented brother and sister duo are making their Olympic dreams a reality, one competition at a time. After competing at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain Resort in December, the siblings headed north to Calgary, Canada, where they would both achieve career milestones at the World Cup event held from January 1st through 3rd.

Svea Irving showed incredible determination and poise under pressure during the women's competition. After qualifying in seventh place to advance to the 10-woman final, she faced a challenging moment when her first run didn't go as planned. Rather than letting the setback defeat her, Svea channeled the pressure into performance on her final attempt. The result was spectacular: a clean, technical run featuring an alley-oop with a full tweak, a left side 900, a right side 720, a switch left cork 720, a right side 540, and a left side 540 with a Japan grab.

The moment Svea reached the bottom of the halfpipe, she pumped her arms in celebration, feeling the accomplishment before even seeing her score. Her intuition was right. The judges awarded her an impressive 83.20, securing her first podium finish of the 2025-26 season with a bronze medal. Australia's Indra Brown took gold with 85.20, while China's Kexin Zhang earned silver with 84.20.

The Irving family's joy multiplied when Birk followed his younger sister onto the podium later that same day. After placing second in his qualifying heat, Birk skied with remarkable confidence during the men's finals. While his first run was solid, it was his second attempt that truly shined. Determined to join Svea in celebration, Birk executed a technically demanding sequence including a switch left double 1080, a right side double 1260, a clutch double 1440, a switch right side 720, and a double flat spin. The impressive performance earned him an 89.80 and the bronze medal position. Nick Goepper of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, took gold with 94.80, while New Zealand's Finley Melville Ives captured silver with 92.20.

The Ripple Effect: The Irving siblings' success represents more than personal achievement. They're inspiring young athletes across Colorado and beyond, showing that with dedication and mutual support, family members can push each other to greatness. Their journey toward Olympic qualification continues to motivate their Winter Park community and the broader freeski halfpipe world. As both athletes advance in their careers, they're proving that dreams shared between siblings can become reality together.

Birk continued his strong momentum by qualifying for the U.S. Grand Prix finals in Aspen, placing third overall in his heat. The complete U.S. halfpipe and slopestyle teams are set to be announced at the "Road to Italy" event following the Aspen finals on January 10th, bringing these talented siblings one step closer to their Olympic aspirations.