su yiming wins slopestyle gold on his 22nd birthday at Milan-Cortina
Su Yiming produced a composed, big-moment performance in the men's snowboard slopestyle final in Livigno on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET), earning gold with an opening-run score that none of his rivals could better. The victory was Su's second medal at these Games and marked the host nation's first Olympic gold in Milan-Cortina.
Birthday breakthrough: the winning run
Su opened the final with a clean, high-scoring run that yielded an 82. 41 — a mark that ultimately held up as the winning score. Riding on his 22nd birthday, he rode through the course’s sequence of three rail features and three jumps with a mix of technical rail work and controlled aerials. After completing his third run without improving on that opening effort, emotion overwhelmed him; he shed tears as he watched the remaining riders attempt to chase the score from the bottom of the hill. One by one, challengers either fell or posted totals short of Su’s benchmark.
Podium and notable performances
Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa claimed silver with an early first-run tally of 82. 13, a near miss that left the margin between gold and silver razor-thin. American Jake Canter secured bronze with a late comeback effort, posting a 79. 36 on his final attempt. Norway’s Marcus Kleveland threatened in the closing moments but fell short, while Canadian veteran Mark McMorris — still recovering from a concussion sustained in training two weeks earlier — finished eighth.
The Livigno format granted each rider three attempts and counted only the best score, which rewarded Su’s decision to put a high-quality opener on the board rather than chasing progressively riskier lines. Judges evaluated creativity, execution and overall run composition, and the narrow differences in the top scores underscored how small margins decided the medals.
Context and what comes next
The gold adds to Su’s growing Olympic résumé: he left Beijing with medals in both big air and slopestyle and came into these Games having taken a year away from competition before returning refreshed and riding for fun. This win is his fourth career Olympic medal and his second at Milan-Cortina, having already taken bronze in the big air earlier in the program. For the Chinese delegation, the result represented the nation’s first gold medal of this Olympic programme and boosted its medal tally on the alpine stage.
Competition in Livigno continues: the women's slopestyle final was scheduled later the same day, and the freestyle snowboarding programme still had more drama to offer across the week. For Su, the Livigno victory is both personal and symbolic — a birthday milestone that underlined his status as one of the sport’s defining talents and a reminder that experience, precision and timing often win out on the Olympic stage.
