Okayama native Kira Kimura triumphed in the men’s snowboard big air final with the two highest-scoring runs on Saturday night, February 7 at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
On his first attempt, the 23-year-old received 89.50 points. He was even better on his third run at Livigno Snow Park. That run gave him 90.50 points. (Only two attempts are counted in the total score.)
Kimura finished with 179.50 points to top the standings in the 12-man field.
The Olympic debutant became Japan’s first gold medalist of the 2026 Games.
Teammate Ryoma Kimata grabbed the silver with 171.50 points, while China’s Yiming Su, the 2022 Olympic champion, claimed the bronze with 168.50.
The Path to Victory for Kira Kimura
As noted above, Kimura had a strong first try to set the tone for his gold medal-winning performance.
But he slipped on his second attempt, wiping out his momentum.
There was redemption for Kimura, however, as he aced his third run, completing a 1,980 backside maneuver (five-and-a-half rotations) to secure the gold.
Kimura was the 2023-24 FIS Snowboard World Cup overall leader in the big air standings.
In his snowboarding career, Kimura has three World Cup meet wins in his specialized event.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward‘s dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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