Winter Olympics 2026: Curling history followed by big-air brilliance on day minus-1 of action
Snowboard: 12 advance to men’s big air final
In the men’s big air qualifiers, 30 athletes were whittled down to 12 finalists.
Japan’s Ogiwara Hiroto, fresh from his X Games gold, topped the standings with three huge runs resulting in a total score of 178.50, while compatriot Kimura Kira safely progressed in third. Homegrown hero Ian Matteoli qualified in second, roared home by Italian spectators in the crowd.
Su Yiming, the defending champion from Beijing 2022, placed just outside the top three, bouncing back from a score of 22 in his first run. In a surprise twist for Team USA, only 17-year-old Oliver Martin found a way to progress, with the likes of Red Gerard finishing in 20th.
Australia’s Valentino Guseli, who was a last-minute call-up in the wake of Canadian Mark McMorris’s withdrawal, was the 12th and final snowboarder to book a spot in Saturday’s final.
For a full breakdown of Thursday’s (5 February) results in the men’s big air event, click here.
