OLYMPICS: Snowboard-Japan's Murase flips to gold in big air

LIVIGNO, Italy – Japan’s Kokomo Murase upgraded her bronze medal from four years ago to gold on Monday, claiming the top spot in the women’s snowboarding big air contest at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. She wowed the crowd with breathtaking aerial tricks high above the Italian Alps.

The 21-year-old held off strong challenges from Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand, who won her second consecutive silver medal in the event. Yu Seung-eun of South Korea earned bronze in her Olympic debut. The contest took place at night in Livigno, with riders performing under bright floodlights.

Murase was visibly emotional after her win, placing a hand on her face in disbelief before waving and smiling on the podium. Yu captured a memorable moment by taking a selfie with the medalists wearing their Olympic hardware.

The Big Air event requires riders to launch off a jump and perform aerial tricks featuring flips, spins, and twists in multiple directions.

On Monday, the medallists showcased impressive skill with advanced jumps and clean landings. Murase’s final run featured a backside triple 1440, a trick involving three upside-down flips while spinning four full rotations. Her victory followed Japan’s gold and silver finish in the men’s big air event on Saturday, underscoring the country’s growing dominance in snowboarding.

Sadowski-Synnott, 24, recovered from a failed first run to secure silver. A strong second jump temporarily put her in the lead, but Murase’s final performance ultimately claimed the gold. Scores were determined by the best two runs out of three.

Yu, 18, admitted she was nervous during her second jump, attempting a trick for the first time in competition. “But I landed and I was very excited,” she said, celebrating her first Olympic medal.

Two-time big air gold medalist Anna Gasser of Austria struggled on her first two runs and finished eighth. At 34, she was unable to match the high-level maneuvers of the younger riders. “Sometimes in sports, it is not your day,” Gasser said. “Not landing those first two tricks clean, I knew the chances were over.” -Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Alison Williams and Christian Radnedge/Reuters