Japan’s Ogiwara tops qualifying for men’s big air as snowboarding kicks off at Olympics
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LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Hiroto Ogiwara of Japan topped qualifying for men’s big air as snowboarding kicked off at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Ogiwara finished atop the scoreboard with 178.5 points from his best two runs.
Ogiwara smashed the record books for snowboarding at the 2025 Aspen X Games when he landed the first 2,340-degree jump (six-and-a-half rotations) in competition.
Home favorite Ian Matteoli was second in qualifying with 174.5 points, giving the Italian fans a reason to cheer.
Kira Kimura of Japan was third with 173.25, ahead of reigning gold medalist Su Yiming of China in fourth with 172.25.
Only one American, Oliver Martin, was in the top 12 to advance to Saturday’s final after finishing ninth.
Big air consists of one single jump off a huge ramp, where the rider varies spins, flips and holds of the board. The Livigno ramp peaks at over 40 meters (yards), sending the riders soaring down a landing slope that was lit by floodlights for the nighttime event.
Riders jump three times in qualifying. Their top two jumps are combined for a final score while the worst jump is dropped.
Big air is the third of the snowboarding park events along with the halfpipe and slopestyle course. Livigno, a small skiing town nestled in a snow-covered valley in the Italians Alps, will also host the freestyle skiing aerials and moguls.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics