Milano Cortina 2026: Tough Training Brings Silver to Snowboarder Taiga Hasegawa; Aichi Prefecture Native Wins Japan’s First Medal in Slopestyle

By Kohei Tsukamoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

21:00 JST, February 19, 2026

Renowned for his constant training, the “maestro of hard work” shined bright on the world stage.

Taiga Hasegawa, 20, won the silver medal in the men’s snowboard slopestyle event at the Milano Cortina Olympics on Wednesday. He has carved a new page in the history of Japan’s snowboarding, whose athletes have performed impressive feats throughout the Games.

Hasegawa was named after professional golfer Tiger Woods, in the hope that he would be strong and always aim for the top in everything.

Born in Iwakura, Aichi Prefecture, he used a ski lift for the first time at age 4 with his snowboard-loving father. “You won’t win unless you practice more than anyone else,” his father urged him. He traveled from his home to Gifu and Toyama prefectures almost every week to snowboard.

Exhausted from practicing, Hasegawa even fell asleep once while being carried in a cart that was being used instead of a lift. In his elementary school graduation album, he wrote, “What I must do now is practice every minute and second without waste.”

“I’ve never seen anyone practice more than he does,” said his coach, Sho Sakanishi, 43, who has known him since those days.

Hasegawa’s talent blossomed rapidly. In 2021, he won the big air event at the world junior championships at age 15. In 2023, he became the first Japanese athlete to win gold at the world championships.

He finished 11th in his specialty, big air, at the Milano Cortina Games but achieved the remarkable feat of winning Japan’s first-ever medal in slopestyle.

“All my long work paid off. This is thanks to the people around me who created a good environment for me,” Hasegawa said. The result of his efforts shined brightly on his chest.