By any measure, Canadian under-17 downhill champion was already having one heck of a season. The Generation Specialized racer’s racked up a huge pile of wins, four during Crankworx Whistler alone, and the Canada Cup overall. But standing on the podium next to iconic World Cup legend Aaron Gwin? That’s something else.
Manietta accomplished just that over the weekend at the Fox US Open downhill at Deer Valley, Utah.
Gwin has 20 World Cup wins and five World Cup overall titles to his name. Manietta is … 15 years old. Pretty stellar work from the young Canadian to finish 0.7 seconds back of a legend like Gwin
2026 Fox US Open: Gwin and Scarsi win in Deer Valley
Gwin did take the win at the Fox US Open, his biggest win since joining Frameworks Racing. Evan Medcalf (Commencal Schwalbe Les Orres) takes second with Manietta third 0.728 seconds back of Gwin. Jackson Connelly of Australia was fourth with Dakotah Norton (Scott Factory DH) in fifth. Gwin’s Frameworks Racing teammate Asa Vermette had a mistake in his run and finished seventh after setting the fastest seeding time in Deer Valley.
Kasper Woolley placed 11th in finals, Jake Polito 13th and Tegan Cruz 16th, putting four Canadians in the top 20 in the US Open.
European champ Gloria Scarsi (MS Racing) takes the US Open win on the women’s side. Kallie Stewart and Mary Mclarnon round out the podium. Pre-race favourite Aletha Ostegaard crashed hard during her finals run and finished well down the standings.
Jenna Foreman, the lone Canadian woman, finished 10th.
Full Replay: 2026 Fox US Open / Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series #5
Gwin’s “Full circle” moment in Park City
Gwin called his winning weekend in Deer Valley a “Full circle moment,” returning to a venue he race during his first season as a pro back in 2008. Back then, it was NORBA racing and Gwin was fourth behind Justin Leov.
Manietta? He wasn’t even born yet.
Anyway, here’s video from 2008 NORBA. See if you can pick out Gwin in the highlight reels.