In the competition held at Livigno Snow Park, two athletes Kira Kimura and Ryoma Kimata brought home gold and silver medals for the Japanese sports delegation.
Meanwhile, defending champion Su Yiming of China won a bronze medal after a close score competition between the top 3 athletes. Kimura achieved a total score of 179.50, Kimata ranked 2nd with 171.50 points, and Su Yiming finished with 168.50 points.
Kimura made a mistake in the second jump but adjusted in time with a high-difficulty 1900 turn in the last lap. This achievement helped the 21-year-old rider step onto the highest podium for the first time at the Winter Olympics.
Kimata maintained stability in all three jumps to secure second place. Su Yiming was under pressure to defend her title and fell in the second jump when trying complex moves, narrowing her chances of competing for a gold medal.
Champion Kimura said that the concentrated training process during the mid-season break, along with a system of supporting facilities such as large airbags to practice aerial movements, is an important factor helping the Japanese team improve technical difficulty.
The three medal-winning athletes will continue to compete in the slopestyle event from February 16, with the level of competition expected to continue to be high between Asian and North American teams.
Snowboarding is a sport that synthesizes the elements of surfing, skateboarding, and skiing, requiring a combination of speed, balance, and aerial maneuver control. Athletes compete on a single snowboard, move on snow-covered slopes, and perform spins and turns in the air.
In the Big Air event, scores are calculated from 2 best jumps in 3 attempts. Scoring criteria include technical difficulty, height, performance style and stable landing ability.
The results at the 2026 Olympics show that the technical level of Asian athletes has approached and surpassed other regions in this event.
