Su Yiming celebrated his 22nd birthday by standing on the top step at Livigno Snow Park, winning the men's snowboard slopestyle final for China with a decisive opening run that held up through a pressure-packed afternoon on February 18, 2026. The final, held after qualification on February 15, delivered tight scoring, dramatic crashes, and a podium that highlighted both consistency and one big, late push from an American newcomer.
Quick facts
- Event: Men's snowboard slopestyle, Milano Cortina 2026, Livigno Snow Park, Valtellina, Italy.
- Dates: Qualification, February 15, 2026; Final, February 18, 2026.
- Medalists: Gold, Su Yiming (CHN) — 82.41 points; Silver, Taiga Hasegawa (JPN) — 82.13 points; Bronze, Jake Canter (USA) — 79.36 points.
The final in brief
Su Yiming set the benchmark early with a near-flawless first run scored at 82.41, a mark that proved untouchable as rivals pushed risk and speed on subsequent attempts. Japan's Taiga Hasegawa came closest, posting 82.13 on his opening effort, while American Jake Canter climbed from mid-pack to secure bronze with a gutsy third-run 79.36. The contest was defined by a handful of high-profile mistakes, and by a rail section that troubled many of the world's best riders, amplifying the value of a clean, composed run.
Place | Athlete | Country | Best Score |
|---|---|---|---|
Gold | Su Yiming | CHN | 82.41 |
Silver | Taiga Hasegawa | JPN | 82.13 |
Bronze | Jake Canter | USA | 79.36 |
The winning recipe, and why Su's run stood out
Su's winning run combined technical rail work and big air tricks with clean landings, a blend judges reward in slopestyle scoring. He opened with a precise rail section and followed with high-difficulty rotations on the jumps, balancing amplitude and execution. When many favorites tried to chase extra difficulty late in the order, they either over-rotated or lost clean contact on rails, handing Su the advantage.
The context mattered, as wind and a compact jump spacing made the course less forgiving. Riders who tried to increase their trick difficulty without matching control found themselves falling into the penalty zone of lost points and lost momentum.
"There is no better gift for my 22nd birthday," the champion said after the medal ceremony, the emotion of the moment plain on his face as he awaited confirmation of the final standings.
That reaction captured the human side of the result, but it was the scorecard that told the technical story, a story of one perfect opening, and of others falling just short.
Podium narratives and athlete arcs
- Su Yiming, China: The win upgraded Su's Olympic slopestyle résumé, after silver in Beijing 2022 and a big air medal earlier in these Games. For a rider who has been at the center of global attention since his teenage years, the Livigno victory reinforced his position among the discipline's elite, and it delivered China's first gold of the Milano Cortina Games.
- Taiga Hasegawa, Japan: Hasegawa's silver, at 82.13, was a narrow miss, but it underscored Japan's continued depth in park events. His clean, technically ambitious run highlighted the country's systematic progress in rail-to-jump transitions.
- Jake Canter, USA: Canter's bronze was a breakthrough moment. Sitting outside medal position until his final attempt, he put together a composed third run under intense pressure to score 79.36. For Canter, the medal caps a rapid rise and a personal comeback story that captured attention off the hill as well as on it.
Other big names, including several past Olympic and world champions, struggled with speed on the approach to the jumps, or with the technical rail elements that separated podium contenders from the rest of the field.
The course, the weather, and judging conversations
Livigno's slopestyle layout combined three rail features with three jumps, demanding versatility. Throughout the day a swirling wind pattern and intermittent gusts made timing and speed management critical. Several commentators and technical analysts pointed to the rail section as a decisive element, where small errors cost riders more than they have in recent seasons.
Judging in judged winter sports always invites debate, and this final was no exception. Observers praised the consistency of the panel in rewarding clean, complete runs, while others noted the tight margins between scores and the difficulty of comparing runs that emphasized rail technicality versus those that prioritized big-air difficulty.
A brief technical note on scoring
Judges award a single best score per rider from three runs, on a 0 to 100 scale, evaluating execution, difficulty, amplitude, variety and overall impression. A simplified representation of that process looks like this:
```
Score = judges' aggregate (0-100)
Components considered: execution + difficulty + amplitude + variety + progression
Best of three runs counts
```
This shorthand does not capture the nuance of individual judge assessments, but it explains why a single clean run can beat multiple higher-risk attempts if those attempts are not landed cleanly.
Multiple viewpoints: celebration, critique and the athlete perspective
Supporters of the result pointed to Su's consistency, noting that in a field where many riders chased extra difficulty and failed to land, the cleanest high-difficulty run deserved the gold. National team coaches highlighted the technical training that has emphasized rails this season, a factor that arguably advantaged riders like Su and Hasegawa.
Critics and some fans raised questions about course design and its effect on the balance between rail work and jump difficulty. For some, the Livigno layout shifted the emphasis away from the huge jumps that thrilled audiences toward tighter technical sequences that reward different skills. That is not inherently wrong, but it does change how athletes construct runs and how viewers experience the contest.
From the athletes' side, the message was consistent: conditions and course design are part of competition, and riders must adapt. Several competitors praised the organizers for a challenging course, and they acknowledged the judges for consistent scoring, even while lamenting tiny margins and the cruel arithmetic of judged competition.
What the result means going forward
Su Yiming's gold is a statement for his career and for China, which earned its first gold of the Games with this win. For Japan, Hasegawa's silver continues a strong run in park events. For the United States, Canter's bronze represents new depth in a program that has produced podiums but is always chasing more consistency across its roster.
The competition also refocused attention on course design choices and judging standards as slopestyle evolves, especially as riders push technical thresholds on rails and in the air. National teams will take these lessons into the World Cup season and the run-up to 2030, adjusting training and trick selection to the increasingly fine margins that separate medals from near-misses.
Looking ahead
The Milano Cortina 2026 slopestyle final will be remembered for its drama, for a birthday gold, and for a podium that mixed a decorated international star with rising talents and comeback stories. As the park-and-pipe season continues, expect riders to refine their approach to rail sections and to search for an optimal balance between risk and control. The sport is changing fast, and the Livigno final made clear that, in slopestyle, a single clean run often matters more than chasing one extra degree of rotation.
Su Yiming left Livigno with a gold medal and an image of controlled aggression, a template for others to study and to challenge. For the fans, the final delivered tension, tight scoring, and a reminder that judged snowboarding rewards both daring and discipline.