LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Kira Kimura and Ryoma Kimata led a Japanese gold and silver medal grab in men’s big air on Saturday, underlining the growing dominance of their country in snowboarding at the Winter Olympics.
The 21-year-old Kimura edged his fellow countryman with a blistering last run, scoring a final’s best 90.50 to surge to the top of the table. He finished with 179.50 points from his best two jumps.
Defending champion Su Yiming of China took bronze, pushing 17-year-old American Oliver Martin off the podium.
Kimura was all smiles when he held up his gold medal with one hand and a plush doll of the Olympics and Paralympic mascots, the stoats Tina and Milo, with his other hand.
The 23-year-old Kimata, who won the big air world championship last year, touched down on his final run when he had a chance to snatch victory from Kimura. He finished with 171.50 points.
Both were competing in their first Olympics, and neither shied away from the moment, laying down the best jumps after spinning at dizzying speeds through the Alpine night.
Kimura’s best previous results were three second-placed finishes at World Cup events. He was 11th in big air at the 2025 world championship.
Japan has emerged over the past decade-plus as a force in halfpipe, winning five medals, with four by men, in the last three Olympics.
But it had only parlayed that into one bronze in women’s big air in 2022, with no medals in slopestyle.
Now Kimura and Kimata have given Japan its first Olympic gold and silver in big air, and more could be to come. The pair will also compete in slopestyle, while Ayumu Hirano will seek to defend his halfpipe gold.
Japan had four riders in the final, the most of any country, followed by three New Zealanders, Su of China, and an Aussie, showing the strength of the Pacific Rim.
These were the first medals awarded for action sports, which include freestyle skiing in addition to snowboarding, at these Games.
Big air consists of one single jump off a huge ramp, where the rider varies spins, flips and holds of the board. The Livigno ramp peaks at over 40 meters (yards), sending the riders soaring down a landing slope that is lit by floodlights for the nighttime event.
Riders jump three times, with judges scoring them on execution, height and execution. Their top two jumps are combined for a final score while the worst jump is dropped.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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