SPORT / OLYMPICS
Star snowboarder Su Yiming wins China's first medal at Winter Olympics
China’s Su Yiming competes in the men’s snowboarding big air final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on February 7, 2026 in Livigno, Italy. Photo: Wang Jingyuan/People’s Daily
The 21-year-old star, who captivated the world at Beijing 2022 with gold in big air and silver in slopestyle, faced a field of fierce competitors where the difficulty level reached new heights.
Su opened strongly with a frontside 1980-degree spin, earning 88.25 points and setting a solid foundation. Though minor hand touches on his subsequent runs resulted in scores of 73.75 and 80.25, his best two attempts totaled 168.50 points, clinching the bronze.
Japan's Kira Kimura took gold with a dramatic final-run scoring 90.50 points to total 179.50 points, while his compatriot Ryoma Kimata earned silver at 171.50.
Su is the only competitor who also featured in the Beijing 2022 final. Reflecting on his performance, Su expressed his pride.
"Winter sports are developing at an incredible speed in China and I believe we will see many more elite athletes coming from China," he told reporters at the post-race news conference.
"I hope I can serve as an example to inspire more people to feel the passion for snowboarding. I believe sport brings many dimensions of experiences to our lives."
Su will go on to compete in the men’s snowboard slopestyle on February 18, which also marks his birthday.
"Hopefully, everything will go smoothly as planned and I can execute the training and tricks,” he said. "I feel like I must be grounded. In training, I must feel confident and to get ready for the event."
