Japanese snowboarder Kokomo Murase won the gold medal in the women's big air event with a score of 179.00 points at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on Monday (February 9), while China's Zhang Xiaonan finished fifth in her Olympic debut, equaling the country's best result in the event.
"I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the podium until I landed my third run. At that point, my emotions were overwhelming," said Murase, who improved on her bronze medal at Beijing 2022.
"I feel like I've improved. I attacked from the first run, which I didn't do in previous events, so I really feel like that's where my development lies," he added.
New Zealand athlete Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and South Korean athlete Yu Seung-eun won silver and bronze medals respectively.
Meanwhile, Zhang recorded a total score of 144.50 points at Livigno Snow Park in a final round dominated by some of the world's best snowboarders.
"Honestly, I'm proud of myself. This is my first Winter Olympics, and I made it to the final and performed at my best in the final. It wasn't easy at all," said the 19-year-old.
"At least I've finished the competition safely, and I think that's the most important thing," Zhang said.
Let's take a closer look at the following series of photos!
