Wang Ziyang of China reacts after run 1 of the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese snowboarder Wang Ziyang finished 10th in the men's halfpipe qualification with a second-run score of 80.50 points at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Wednesday, securing a place in the final.
The 22-year-old, who placed 21st at Beijing 2022, landed three 1440s and two 1260s in his decisive run, electrifying the crowd.
"I gave my very best today," said Wang, who had been sidelined by injury for 10 months since the 2025 Asian Winter Games. "Since my recovery, I haven't been able to perform at my highest level. But this time I really did. The second run was so good that the whole place got fired up."
"I didn't prepare much after recovery, just picked things up bit by bit," he added. "It was pure guts, not being afraid to crash. At the Olympics, you just go for it, no matter if you fall."
Despite his aggressive approach in competition, Wang admitted fear remains a constant companion.
"There's no psychological way to overcome fear. It's terrifying. I know that. I'm still really scared," he said. "In training, I don't do many difficult tricks. My coach often hears me say that I can't break through the mental block. But in competition, I do. Today I felt I pushed past it."
Wang regularly posted snowboarding clips on social media. He expressed hopes that his videos can inspire others to take up the sport.
"I started posting for fun, just to show people what I do," he said. "Some think the tricks look cool and want to try it themselves. Even people who have never skied might think, 'it looks awesome, I want to give it a go.' If my videos make people want to ski, that's enough for me."
Australia's Scotty James, the Beijing 2022 silver medalist competing in his fifth Olympics, topped the qualification with a first-run score of 94.00 points, while Japan's Yuto Totsuka and Ryusei Yamada ranked second and third, respectively.
"I was expecting the runs to be pretty heavy," 31-year-old James said. "The pipe rides really well, so it was amazing to come out and put the first run down."
The Australian admitted he pushed beyond his usual qualification strategy. "I knew I was going to do the switchback 1440. That's not something I would typically do. But here, I wanted to give myself some breathing room and managed to do that."
17-year-old Ren Chongshuo, the youngest member of the Chinese delegation at Milan-Cortina, placed 20th and failed to advance to the 12-man final scheduled for Friday at Livigno Snow Park. ■
Yamada Ryusei of Japan competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China reacts after run 1 of the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Scotty James of Australia competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Jake Pates of the United States competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Ren Chongshuo of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Hirano Ayumu of Japan competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Lee Jio of South Korea competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Hirano Ruka of Japan competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Ren Chongshuo of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Valentino Guseli of Australia reacts during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Hirano Ruka of Japan reacts during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Scotty James of Australia competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Jonas Hasler of Switzerland competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Ren Chongshuo of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Ren Chongshuo of China reacts after the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Chase Blackwell of the United States competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Hirano Ruka of Japan competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Ren Chongshuo of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Scotty James of Australia competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Yamada Ryusei of Japan competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Patrick Burgener of Brazil competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Louis Philip Vito III of Italy competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Totsuka Yuto of Japan competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Hirano Ayumu of Japan competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Ren Chongshuo of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Ren Chongshuo of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Wang Ziyang of China celebrates during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Louis Philip Vito III of Italy reacts during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)
Ren Chongshuo of China reacts after the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Louis Philip Vito III of Italy competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
Wang Ziyang of China competes during the men's snowboard halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)
