Kira Kimura won Japan’s first gold medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday. He edged out compatriot and current world champion Ryoma Kimata to top the podium in the men’s big air snowboarding event. The 21-year-old Okayama Prefecture native stumbled on his second run, but delivered on his first and third, finishing with a total of 179.50 points. His switch backside 1980 spin on the third run was particularly impressive. Reigning Olympic champion Su Yiming from China had to settle for a bronze.

“This year I spent a huge amount of time focused on snowboarding… My family, my coach and everyone around me gave me such great support. I’m really happy that I was able to repay them with this kind of result,” said Kimura. He added, “On my second jump, the timing of my takeoff didn’t quite hit, and I couldn’t land properly. But I was able to make the necessary adjustments, and I’m glad I managed to put down a clean jump on my third.” 

Kimura’s final run put him eight points ahead of Kimata, who led after the second round. “Having another Japanese rider beat me is frustrating, if I’m being honest. But at the same time, I don’t think I could have ridden any better than that. Kira was incredible,” said Kimata. Japan’s other two competitors in the event, former world champion Taiga Hasegawa and Hiroto Ogiwara, finished 11th and 12th, respectively. The four Japanese representatives in the men’s big air event will also be competing in the snowboard slopestyle competition.

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About Kira Kimura

Born in Okayama city in 2004, Kimura started snowboarding when he was in the sixth grade of elementary school. He was inspired to take up the sport after watching the Olympics on TV and went on to make his international debut during the 2022–23 FIS Snowboard World Cup season. The following season, he was the Crystal Globe winner in big air. In 2025,  he made his debut at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships. He was the only one of nine male and female Japanese big air competitors to miss out on the final. 

“It was beyond shock, to a level where I was lost for words,” he told Kyodo News. “It was my first such experience, and it was hell. I was wondering why I was the only one not out there, with frustration, emptiness and regret encroaching on my thoughts.” Kimura subsequently took a year off from his studies at Chukyo University to focus on snowboarding. Practice sessions increased from five to 11 hours, and he continued to push himself at a summer jump training facility. 

Silver for Japan’s Figure Skating Team, Bronze for Nozomi Maruyama

As well as Kimura and Kimata, Japan won two other medals over the weekend. In the women’s ski jumping normal hill competition on Saturday, Nozomi Maruyama picked up the nation’s first medal of the Olympics. The 27-year-old from Nara made jumps of 97 and 100 meters to finish third behind Norway’s Anna Odine Stroem and Slovenia’s Nika Prevc. Sara Takanashi, who has more World Cup wins than any ski jumper in history, finished 13th. Japan’s other two competitors in the competition, Yuka Seto and Yuki Ito, finished 14th and 17th, respectively. 

In the figure skating team event, Japan had to once again settle for silver behind the US. The two nations were level on 59 team points heading into the men’s free skate at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.  Two-time world champion Ilia Malinin, known as the “Quad God,” delivered under intense pressure, scoring 200.03 points to secure the gold for the reigning champions. Shun Sato’s score of 194.86 wasn’t quite good enough. Host nation Italy took home the bronze.

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