Su Yiming of China celebrates after the snowboard men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Su Yiming captured gold in the men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics here on Wednesday, delivering China's first gold medal of the Games.
The victory, secured on his 22nd birthday, made his Olympic triumph all the more memorable.
Livigno had endured days of heavy snowfall and strong winds, disrupting the competition schedule. The slopestyle qualification rounds had been moved forward from Monday to Sunday due to worsening forecasts, while several events originally planned for Tuesday were postponed. However, by Wednesday, the weather improved with clear skies and calm air, creating stable conditions for the final event.
Su seized the lead in the opening run with 82.41 points, building his advantage in the feature section, where he earned 48.55 points, before adding 33.86 across the jump section to complete a well-balanced run.
Japan's Taiga Hasegawa mounted the closest challenge, posting 82.13 in his first run, while American Jake Canter secured bronze with a 79.36 in the third and final round. Su followed his opening score with 79.90 in the second run and 82.18 on his final attempt, but his first-run performance held up to secure victory by just 0.28 points.
Before his opening run, Su exchanged a fist bump and embrace with head coach Yasuhiro Sato, flashing a confident smile at the start gate. After completing his final run cleanly, he headed to the finish area to await the results. As the scores were confirmed, emotion washed over his face, and Sato was overcome with joy, celebrating the breakthrough moment alongside Su.
The title marks Su's first major international slopestyle title. His previous best results in the discipline at the Winter Olympics and World Championships had been silver medals, including at Beijing 2022 and the 2025 World Championships.
Four years ago in Beijing, Su finished second in slopestyle before capturing gold in big air eight days later. In Milan, he had already claimed bronze in big air on February 7 before his triumphant slopestyle run. ■
Su Yiming of China celebrates after the snowboard men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Su Yiming of China competes during the snowboard men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Su Yiming of China competes during the snowboard men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)
Su Yiming of China reacts during the snowboard men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Su Yiming of China reacts during the snowboard men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Su Yiming of China competes during the snowboard men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)
Su Yiming of China competes during the snowboard men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)
Su Yiming of China reacts during the snowboard men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Su Yiming of China competes during the snowboard men's snowboard slopestyle final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)
