BEIJING, China — Indiana's Nick Goepper has added another Olympic medal to his collection.
The Lawrenceburg native, who won bronze and silver medals at the Olympics in 2014 and 2018, picked up another silver medal Tuesday in Beijing.
Goepper, 27, rebounded from a low score on his first run of the freeski slopestyle finals to score an 86.48, which moved him into second place behind U.S. teammate Alexander Hall, who nailed his first run for a score of 90.01.
Hall left the door open for Goepper when he was unable to improve upon his stellar first run, recording scores of 86.38, then 31.41 after a slip-up early in his final trip down the course.
But Goepper missed a grab on his final run and scored just 53.45.
Goepper was third after the qualifying rounds. He had hoped to add a gold medal to complete his medal trifecta.
Though he came up just a few points of that goal, Goepper seemed at peace after the finals.
"I put in a lot of hard work over the last couple of years," he said after the competition. "I feel really relaxed, honestly. I mean, having it be my third Games ... I just feel really happy and relaxed."
Americans have won six of nine Olympic medals since slopestyle was introduced at the Sochi Games in 2014. Goepper alone accounts for half of them.
Before the Games, Goepper told 13Sports Director Dave Calabro he was going to Beijing to win gold, but it wasn't necessarily a "gold or bust" situation.
"I mean, essentially, yeah. It's not really, because there is more to life than gold in sports and medals and stuff, but yeah. Definitely," he said.
Though he now lives in Utah, as it's closer to his training facilities, Goepper hasn't forgotten the support he received in the Hoosier State.
"It means a lot. I love Indiana. I mean, I haven't been back in a little bit, but all the people, the folks I grew up with are amazing people and helped mold me into who I am. I think the values that were instilled in me growing up in Lawrenceburg were great and just to be able to show them and try to inspire," Goepper said. "Maybe the kids back there ... you can really do anything you want to do. Just surround yourself with the right support system.”