LIVIGNO, Italy — Su Yiming of China achieved a remarkable milestone by winning the gold medal in men’s slopestyle snowboarding at the Winter Olympics on Wednesday, a victory that coincided with his 22nd birthday.
This victory marks Su’s fourth career medal and his second at this year’s games. Su scored 82.41 points in his first of three runs, a score that ultimately secured him the gold as no competitor succeeded in surpassing it. Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa earned the silver medal, while American snowboarder Jake Canter claimed bronze.
Notably, this is China’s first gold medal and the seventh overall at the Milan Cortina Games, with Su personally contributing two of those medals to his country’s tally. In previous Olympics, he secured gold in big air and silver in slopestyle at the Beijing 2022 Games and recently added a bronze medal in big air in the Italian Alps.
An emotional Su was seen wiping away tears of joy after completing his third run, despite not improving his initial score. He anxiously watched as seven more riders attempted to outdo him from the bottom of the course, but they were unable to do so, falling short of his score.
The slopestyle course in Livigno features a combination of three rail elements and three jumps, where riders are judged on creativity, execution, and overall performance. Each athlete had three attempts, with only their highest score being considered.
In a notable twist, Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, a three-time bronze medalist, finished eighth after suffering a concussion just two weeks prior to the competition.
As the excitement continues, the women’s slopestyle final is set to take place later on Wednesday, promising further thrilling moments at the Winter Olympics.