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

Chinese snowboarder Su Yi­ming won a bronze medal in the men's snowboard big air finals at the ­Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games on Saturday, bagging the first medal for the Chinese delegation.

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.

"I'm just really proud of myself to deal with such big pressure and still be able to land my tricks. Finally, I have every single color of medals," Su told reporters.

"In such major events, you never perform exactly as you do in training. It's not a training session where you can attempt things endlessly. But it was still a brilliant competition and everyone managed to perform well under immense pressure." 

Su was the only competitor who also featured in the Beijing 2022 finals. 

"When I look at the starting list, I see that many of them are much younger than myself," Su said. "I now carry more responsibilities. My goal is not only to accomplish my dream, but also to be a responsible rider so that I can represent my country." 

"Through these opportunities, I hope I can make a positive impact on other younger athletes, and for those who just love the sport so that they can see more opportunities.

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."

Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming competes during the men's snowboarding big air finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on February 7, 2026. Photo: VCG

After the award ceremony, Su hung the bronze medal on his mother's neck before emotionally hugging his parents.

"My parents introduced snowboarding to me. Wherever I am, whether things are up or down, they've always been my biggest supporters," Su said. 

"To have them here today watching me is something I really appreciate. So when I saw them, I really couldn't control my emotions. I really wanted to just hug them and enjoy this moment together, and celebrate with them."

Su will go on to compete in the men's snowboard slopestyle qualifications on February 16, with the finals of the discipline to be held on his birthday, February 18.

"Right now, the pressure is not on me. I have once again become a challenger rather than a title defender," Su said of his bronze medal. "Hopefully, everything will go as smoothly as planned so that I can execute my training and tricks," he said.

Also on Saturday, in the figure skating team event, veteran skater Jin Boyang, competing in his third Olympics at the age of 28, delivered a solid performance in the men's free skate, scoring 84.15 points. 

"I think my performance today was really great. During both the competition and my on-ice practice before the event, I felt a real sense of release. It made me even happier to immerse myself in and enjoy my third Olympic Games," Jin said.

Although the Chinese team did not advance to the team event finals, Jin said everyone had given their all.

"We have no regrets about our performances; everyone fought really hard. Sister Sui [Wenjing] and the others received five injections of painkillers before going out to compete yesterday. I think their willpower is incredibly strong. All of us have shown the spirit of China's winter sports athletes," Jin said.

On Sunday, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the women's snowboard parallel giant slalom saw promising runs from three-time Olympian Gong Naiying, who led young ­teammates Bai Xinhui, Dong Yuyue and He Kaile during the qualifications. 

On the men's side, two-time Olympian Bi Ye and Ban Xuefu tackled the challenging course, showcasing China's growing depth in snowboarding disciplines.

Monday will see star athlete Gu Ailing lead a Chinese trio competing in the women's freeski slopestyle final, as 19-year-old Han Linshan and 21-year-old Liu Mengting qualified in the 12-people final in their Olympic debut.