How Japan Won Half the Medals in Freestyle Snowboarding at the 2026 Olympics

Freestyle snowboarding medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina were awarded across halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air, with Japanese snowboarders winning nine of 18 medals, including four golds. Japanese athletes also set multiple firsts and record-level tricks, including Kokomo Murase landing a backside triple cork 1620 and Hiroto Ogiwara landing the first backside 2340 in big air. Ayumu Hirano landed the first triple cork 1440 in halfpipe at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Off-season training facilities support year-round preparation through turf and synthetic snow parks that simulate competition features without snow. Air bag snowboarding further enables safer practice of complex spins and flips by landing on inflatable airbags instead of hard surfaces.

"At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy, 18 total medals were awarded across three freestyle snowboarding disciplines: halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air. Nine medals - or half of them - were won by Japanese snowboarders. Of the nine, four were gold medals."

"Not only are Japanese snowboarders dominating competitions, but they are inventing tricks, too. Just last November, Kokomo Murase became the first woman to land a backside triple cork 1620. She won X Games big air with the same trick. One year earlier, at the 2025 X Games, Hiroto Ogiwara landed the world's first backside 2340 in big air competition."

"One answer to that question is off-season training facilities. Japan is home to some of the world's best training facilities that allow snowboarders to train for competition year-round. Dozens of turf and synthetic snow parks are scattered throughout the country, allowing snowboarders to work on jump and rail tricks without snow. During the summers, competitive Japanese snowboarders take to these “dry slopes” to train."

"Air bag snowboarding has also played a large role in Japan's snowboarding success. Instead of landing on a hard surface, snowboarders learn tricks by landing on large, inflatable airbags. Using airbags, snowboarders can safely practice difficult spins and flips without risking dangerous landings. Air bag training has taken off in Japan, with various facilities around the country offering year-round"

Read at SnowBrains