Hirano Kaishu of Japan competes in the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Second to Shaun White at the PyeongChang Games, Japan's 23-year-old talent Ayumu Hirano ended White's dominance in men's snowboard halfpipe in an epic final at Beijing 2022.
by sportswriter Pan Yi
CHONGLI, Zhangjiakou, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Twelve years ago at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, American snowboarding star Shaun White, who had been crowned at Turin 2006, made a decision to throw his newly-invented trick of double cork 1260, the hardest one in halfpipe at that time.
Twelve years later at the Genting Snow Park here on Friday, the Beijing 2022 men's snowboard halfpipe final witnessed a stunning five-trick routine, including a back-to-back triple cork 1440, a back-to-back double cork 1260 and a double cork 1440, landed by Japan's 23-year-old talent Ayumu Hirano in the last run of all 12 competitors.
The leading actors of the epic duel were no doubt the top three of PyeongChang 2018: champion White, sliver medalist Hirano who had been overtaken by White in the last run, and bronze medalist Scotty James from Australia, who always wears his favorite bright red, boxing-inspired gloves during competition, sporting a boxing Kangaroo image.
White is the first and only snowboarder to win three Olympic gold medals (Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010, PyeongChang 2018). After PyeongChang 2018, he took a break from snowboarding but came back with a fourth-place finish at the Aspen World Cup in March 2021, triggering curiosity about what he can achieve at Beijing 2022 at the age of 35.
White finished fourth at Sochi 2014 where Hirano cut a figure by taking the first-ever snowboarding medal (silver) for Japan and became the Games' youngest ever snowboarding medalist at 15 years, 74 days.
Hirano Kaishu of Japan competes in the men's snowboard halfpipe final at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)
Hirano started snowboarding at age three and skateboarding at age four, as introduced by his elder brother Eiju. Their father was a surf shop owner who built a skatepark for them to practice.
Also good at skateboarding, Hirano managed to qualify for Tokyo 2020 and finished 14th in qualifying without reaching the park event's final.
Turning to Beijing 2022 at once after Tokyo 2020, Hirano stared at the top podium and vowed to avoid the Olympic silver position for a third time.
However, the final duel was so fierce that both Hirano and James failed to complete the first of the three runs, ranking ninth and 10th respectively. White got 72.00 points to stand fourth.
In the second run, the 27-year-old James put down a dizzy routine with two double cork 1440s and two backside 1260s to top the table with 92.50 points.
"I did a switch backside 1260, which is quite technical, into another switch trick, which is a 1440 - that combination has never been done before. Then a frontside 900, backside 1260 into a frontside 1440. It's a lot of spinning, a little dizzy," said James after the final.
Hirano Ayumu (C) of Japan, Scotty James (L) of Australia and Jan Scherrer of Switzerland attend the awarding ceremony after the men's snowboard halfpipe final at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)
A quite open-minded snowboarder, James used to chat with fans on social media about his new tricks. But since 2021, he has kept silent. Fans predicted that James was preparing a secret weapon for his Olympic tour.
Hirano also made stunning tricks in the second run with one triple cork 1440, two double cork 1440s and two double cork 1260s, collecting 91.75 points to closely follow James in the table.
White also raised his score to 85 points but still stood fourth.
"I wasn't able to accept the second run's score, but I managed to express my anger well at the end," said Hirano after the final.
In the breathtaking third run, the last chance to improve the score, all 12 finalists threw their highest-level tricks, but eight of them failed, including James and White.
As the last rider came out, Hirano stood calmly at the starting point.
"At that moment, I had a different feeling from usual. I was ready to take the plunge and give all. They pushed me and provided me with great motivation," Hirano said.
He slid into the pipe with determination, throwing almost the same five tricks as those in the second run but changed the second one from double cork 1440 to triple cork 1440.
He made it with 96 points, with a back-to-back triple cork 1440 indicating that a new era for snowboarding halfpipe has begun. ■
