LIVIGNO — Canadian snowboarder Francis Jobin, who has had to bide his time getting to the Olympics, showed up in impressive fashion Thursday at the Milan Cortina Games.
The 27-year-old from Lac-Beauport, Que., who made his World Cup debut 10 years ago this month, finished sixth in big air qualifying to advance to Saturday’s 12-man final. His combined two-run score was 170.75
Eli Bouchard, an 18-year-old also from Lac-Beauport, just missed out in 14th place (161.25). Cameron Spalding, a 20-year-old from Havelock, Ont., was 22nd (145.50).
The 30 qualifiers each had three qualifying runs with the top two counting in the bid to make Saturday’s final, the first of the snowboard medals to be handed out.
Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara, the 2025 and 2026 X Games gold medallist, led qualifying with a combined score of 178.50. head of 20-year-old Italian Ian Matteoli (174.50) and Japan’s Kira Kimura (173.25). Defending Olympic champion Su Yiming of China was fourth (172.75), finishing with two strong jumps after falling on his first effort.
Su won the first two World Cup events of the season with Ogiwara, the 2025 and 2026 X Games gold medallist, taking the other.
Canadian veteran Mark McMorris, in the wake of a training crash Wednesday night, pulled out of Thursday’s qualifying to focus on the slopestyle event. The 32-year-old from Regina won bronze in slopestyle in each of the last three Olympics.
The Canadian Olympic Committees said the decision, made in consultation with the Canada Snowboard and COC medical teams, was made “as a precaution.”
“Fortunately, things are looking good for slopestyle, so I’m staying positive and shifting my focus there,” McMorris said in the COC statement.
The imposing big air jump at the Livigno Snow Park stands more than 50 metres tall, with the competitors riding to the top via an elevator in a thin scaffolding. Then they launch themselves down a slope, flying off the big jump like spinning tops fired from a rocket.
It’s a party-like atmosphere with music blaring and commentators offering their take in English and Italian as competitors.
For Jobin, it was a great night on his biggest stage.
“It went great,” said Jobin. “I’m so proud of my riding this week. I had a great practice yesterday.
“The past two years or so, I’ve been working on different tricks, different variations, and it came just in time for the Olympics. So I’m really happy to come here with something new to show the world. I’d say I didn’t really have too much expectation with the ranking or anything. My plan from the start was just to put down my runs, and I’m really proud of that.”
His first trick was a Double Backside Rodeo 1260, the first time he has attempted it in competition.
“That’s the one I learned pretty recently,” he said.
He then did the same trick from the other direction before delivering a cleaner version with his final jump.
“I’m just really excited to be here, honestly,” said Jobin, who finally earned his first World Cup podium and victory in February 2025 at a slopestyle event in Aspen. “I don’t put too much pressure on myself. I know I’m coming here with something a bit different than what most riders are doing … I’m just here to do my tricks and ride my best.”
Jobin, who won gold in snowboard street style at the 2025 Winter X Games, was a model of consistency, earning scores of 84.75, 84.75 and 86.0.
Bouchard showed off two of his signature tricks — the McBouch and the Bouch Bomb.
“It was great,” he said. “I’m grateful to be here. Super stoked. I’ve worked hard for this, so I’m super-happy to be here.”
Bouchard, another first-time Olympian, was a double medallist at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, winning gold in big air and silver in slopestyle at 16. Two months later, he won big air bronze at the FIS Junior World Championships and fifth in slopestyle.
He earned his first FIS World Cup podium and win in February 2025 in a big air event in Aspen, landing another signature trick — the triple moose flip.
Spalding enjoyed Thursday’s competition, calling it “super-fun.”
“Not the result I was looking for, but I feel good on my board, and at the end of the day, that’s what I’m most happy about,” he added.
Spalding is also a first-time Olympian but has already won the Crystal Globe as the overall FIS World Cup slopestyle champion.
Canadian Sebastien Toutant won gold in the event at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang and was 26th four years later in Beijing. Canadian Max Parrot claimed bronze in Beijing in 2022.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2026
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
