Murase adds Olympic gold to world and X-Games titles as Japan asserts Big Air dominance

Japan’s Kokomo Murase landed three exceptional runs on Monday evening to add Olympic Big Air gold to her World Championships and X-Games titles at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno.

In her third and final run of the evening Murase stomped a frontside triple cork 1440, stepping things up from her frontside triple cork 1260 from run two and earning a score of 89.25 in the process. Added to her first run score of 89.75 for her backside triple cork 1440 mute, Murase’s two run score of 179.00pts would give her the gold medal and a significant upgrade on her bronze medal from Beijing 2022.

Murase’s victory extended Japan’s domination of the Big Air events, after Kimura Kira and Kimata Ryoma had a historic 1-2 finish in the men’s competition on Saturday evening. 

By replicating her Beijing 2022 silver medal, New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski Synnott put herself in the history books by becoming the most decorated female snowboarder in Olympic history with four medals to her name - one gold, two silvers and a bronze. Proving once again her ability to step up when the stakes are highest, Sadowski-Synnott came back from a fall in run one to put down a backside triple cork 1440 mute of her own in run two, followed by a switch backside 1260 mute in run three for a two-run score of 172.75 and the silver medal.

18-year-old Seungeun Yu (KOR), a veteran of just five World Cup competitions, shocked the field with a bronze medal performance on Monday night, stomping a backside triple cork 1440 mute and a frontside triple cork 1440 frontside grab to lead proceedings going into the final run, before ending up with bronze on 171.00pts on her Olympic debut. 

Great Britain’s Mia Brookes missed the podium by just one spot and 12 points, finishing in fourth with 159.00pts.

While the podium trio celebrated, two-time champion Anna Gasser (AUT) bowed out of Big Air with any hopes of a threepeat dashed after her second jump. She finished eighth with 121.25pts and will turn her attention to slopestyle before retirement beckons.

Murase arrived in Livigno on the back of her X-Games title where she was the first woman to land a backside triple cork 1620 in competition. The 21-year-old also led a Japanese clean sweep at the 2025 World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland. 

She was second behind Sadowski-Synnott after qualification in Livigno with the New Zealander favourite to clinch the title for a full set of Olympic Big Air medals.

Murase had other ideas. She stomped her triple cork 1440 to earn 89.75pts as she led Yu (87.75pts) and Japanese teammate Reira Iwabuchi (82.75pts) with Britain’s Mia Brookes fourth (80.75pts). Sadowski-Synnott was 10^th with 27.75pts.

It was Yu who ended the second run in front, earning 83.25pts for a total of 171.00pts after stomping her frontside triple cork. Murase (161.75pts) and Brookes (159.50pts) made up the top three as Sadowski-Synnott moved up the leaderboard after earning 88.75pts for her backside triple 1440.

The New Zealander then launched herself into top spot with a switch backside 1260 securing 83.50pts from the judges for a score of 172.25pts.

There was a long way to go but she remained in top spot until Murase – who was jumping second last – stomped her final effort to earn 89.25pts and elevate herself into the lead.

Murase was guaranteed at least a silver with only Yu to go. The Korean soared on her frontside triple but couldn’t nail the landing and the title went the way of the Japanese athlete.

It was only when she nailed her final run that Murase contemplated getting a medal. "I wasn't sure I would make it onto the podium until I landed that third run. When I did, the emotions flooded over me."

Sadowski-Sinnott became the first female snowboarder to win four medals, with her three in Big Air and Slopestyle gold at PyeongChang 2018 when she was just 16.

"That’s pretty crazy,” she said. “I heard the stat coming into the Olympics and I felt a lot of pressure on my shoulders to perform when it counted. 

"I try not to think about it too much because it's snowboarding and it's fun. We're doing tricks that are really scary and I just try to focus on the process. To add a fourth Olympic medal to my roster is pretty special."

Yu had been really nervous and described landing the front 1440 for the first time as “really amazing.”

"I was injured for a year, so I wasn't able to do a lot of things,” she said. “But it gave me the courage to say, 'I can do it next time'. I'm very proud of myself right now."