Defending Olympic champion Su Yiming of China staged a dramatic comeback in the men's big air snowboarding qualifiers at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games on Thursday, securing his place in Saturday's final after overcoming early challenges.
The 21-year-old phenom, who made history with China's first Olympic snowboarding gold at Beijing 2022, initially struggled with a 22.00-point opening run. However, the athlete demonstrated championship composure by landing an 87.75-point backside 1800 nose grab in his second attempt, followed by an 85.00-point switch backside 1980 melon grab.
'Experience from previous competitions helped me handle the pressure,' Su told reporters after his qualification, visibly relieved following his final run. 'The level here is much higher than four years ago – it's incredible how fast our sport is evolving.'
Su's journey to these Games has been marked by resilience. After sustaining multiple injuries following his 2022 breakthrough, the snowboarder has dominated this season's World Cup circuit, claiming two big air victories and leading the discipline rankings.
As anticipation builds for Saturday's final, sports analysts highlight Su's technical innovation and mental fortitude as key factors in what promises to be one of the most competitive Olympic snowboarding events to date. The final will air globally at 10:00 AM CET on February 8.
