Milano Cortina 2026: Totsuka Strikes Gold, While Kagiyama Takes Silver; Champions on Heels of Trailblazer Hirano

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:17 JST, February 14, 2026

MILAN — Yuto Totsuka, 24, won gold in the men’s snowboard halfpipe final on Friday, the eighth day of the Milano Cortina Olympics, while 19-year-old Ryusei Yamada picked up the bronze.

Japan has now secured back-to-back Olympic titles in the event following Ayumu Hirano’s victory at the 2022 Beijing Games. In total, Japanese athletes have won 20 gold medals across all Olympic Winter Games.

It was Totsuka’s third consecutive bid for Olympic glory and his first medal, which he secured with a commanding score of 95.00 in the second run.

Hirano finished seventh.

Meanwhile, in the men’s figure skating free skate on the same day, Yuma Kagiyama captured his second consecutive silver medal with a total of 280.06 points. Although the 22-year-old finished sixth in the free skate segment, his strong showing in the short program ensured that he had a place on the podium.

The bronze went to Shun Sato, 22, who was making his Olympic debut.

Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov, 21, climbed from fifth in the short program to take the gold, providing a dramatic comeback for the competition. On the other hand, overnight leader Ilia Malinin, 21, of the United States faltered in the free skate to finish 15th, which dropped him to eighth place overall.

On Hirano’s heels

For four years, Yuto Totsuka had been following the tracks made by Ayumu Hirano, who won gold in the halfpipe event at the previous Games. “I am happy to have won gold on the same Olympic stage [as Hirano],” Totsuka said.

After the event, the two hugged and paid their respects to each other.

The key to Hirano’s gold-medal performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics was a triple cork 1440, which combines three flips with four full rotations.

Once considered the pinnacle of difficulty in snowboarding, the trick has since seen a surge in popularity among snowboarders, with more athletes striving to master it. Totsuka is among those who have successfully added the maneuver to their repertoire.

The definitive moment of the final came in the second run. After landing a triple cork 1440 in a switch stance, Totsuka maintained his momentum and landed a second consecutive triple cork 1440. It was this run, which earned him a high score of 95.00, that secured the gold medal.

It was a defining moment for the sport, as Totsuka elevated the standard of the competition to an even higher level with the very maneuver Hirano had used to raise the standard four years earlier.

“I’m where I am today because I have a role model like Ayumu so close to me,” said Totsuka, acknowledging the influence of his veteran teammate.

This environment, in which competitors chase after a trailblazer who has competed in four consecutive Winter Olympics, combined with a culture of friendly rivalry, has become the foundation of the Japanese men’s team, which is considered the strongest in the country’s history.

Hirano complimented Totsuka with a smile. “The level is so high, it’s beyond what I could have imagined four years ago, and he has truly demonstrated the strength of Japan,” he said.

Following the medal ceremony, Totsuka called Hirano his hero and someone who continues to inspire him. “But he’s my rival too,” he said. “So I want to do everything I can to stay ahead of him.”