Su’s birthday gold, Canter’s breakthrough at 2026 winter olympics men's snowboarding slopestyle
China’s Su Yiming upgraded a Beijing silver to Olympic gold on his 22nd birthday Wednesday morning (early Wednesday ET), delivering a poised run in the final that edged Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa and gave the champion his fourth Olympic medal. American Jake Canter seized bronze with a clutch last jump, returning the United States to the men’s slopestyle podium.
Su edges a tight final on birthday performance
Celebrating his 22nd birthday, Su put together a winning package that scored 82. 41 to top Hasegawa’s 82. 13. The victory marked Su’s second medal at these Games — he earlier collected a big air bronze — and the fourth Olympic medal of his career. After the run he described the moment as a dream fulfilled and spoke of gratitude for being able to represent his country on the sport’s biggest stage.
Su’s morning-winning routine combined technical rail work with clean airs and amplitude, leaving the judges with a marginal lead in what proved to be one of the closest podium battles of the session. Hasegawa, the 2023 big air world champion, pushed the pace with aggressive aerials and smooth execution, finishing just 0. 28 points behind the gold medalist.
Canter’s clutch bronze and U. S. return to the podium
Jake Canter of the United States chipped into medal contention with a gutsy final run, scoring 79. 36 for bronze. Canter landed a double underflip off the cannon and closed with a massive backside 1980 on his last jump, moves that proved decisive for his first Olympic medal after taking his first World Cup victory in Aspen last month.
The podium finish restores the U. S. to men’s slopestyle hardware after missing the podium in 2022, and it marked a breakthrough moment for Canter, who converted technical difficulty into a score that held under pressure. Teammates were visibly supportive; one veteran noted that Canter’s work ethic has been among the strongest on the circuit, and the bronze was widely celebrated as the product of steady progress.
Near-misses, veteran struggles and the look ahead to 2030
Not every former medalist found success in the final. PyeongChang champion Red Gerard finished just outside the podium, ending up sixth with a best score of 76. 60 after a late fall on a second-run backside 1800 attempt. Gerard said the result stung but left room for reflection about future campaigns.
Canadian veteran Mark McMorris, a three-time Olympic bronze medalist in the event, struggled on high-difficulty frontside 1800 attempts and finished eighth with a 75. 50 — his first Olympic podium miss in the slopestyle event. McMorris acknowledged the emotional weight of the result while expressing gratitude for the experience and the support around him.
Seventeen-year-old Ollie Martin posted solid runs but couldn’t clean up an early rail feature and placed ninth, showing promise for the next Olympic cycle. Overall, the final mixed emerging talent, established stars and dramatic falls, underscoring how quickly fortunes can shift in slopestyle and leaving several top names to weigh their futures ahead of 2030.
Final standings: Gold — Su Yiming (China) 82. 41; Silver — Taiga Hasegawa (Japan) 82. 13; Bronze — Jake Canter (United States) 79. 36. The event delivered a high-stakes, tightly scored finale that combined birthday celebration, breakthrough ambition and the unpredictability that defines Olympic snowboarding.
