[OLYMPICS] Yuto Totsuka Takes Gold as Japan Dominates Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe While Australian Scotty James Claims Silver

Japan’s Yuto Totsuka celebrates after putting down an incredible run at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics. | Credit: The INFORMER Facebook

Japan’s Yuto Totsuka took gold in men’s snowboard halfpipe on February 13, 2026, cementing Japan’s spot as the new mecca of men’s snowboard halfpipe riders. The event took place in Livigno, Italy, where the best halfpipe riders in the world put their skills on display in an intense battle for the podium at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Totsuka (Japan) would end up with the gold medal, followed by Scotty James (Australia) taking silver, and Ryusei Yamada (Japan) taking bronze. 

This event showed the world just how much Japan dominates halfpipe snowboarding. This is the country’s second consecutive gold medal in men’s snowboard halfpipe, after Ayumu Hirano took gold in Beijing in 2022. At one point in the competition, Japanese riders held first, second, third, and fourth place positions before Australian Scotty James entered the podium. Each Japanese rider had a run that could have put them on the podium.

Team USA riders, despite putting down some impressive runs, were unable to finish in podium positions. American Jake Pates opened the competition with an impressive run that saw a triple cork 1440 (four full spins), setting the pace for the competition. 17-year-old Alessandro Barbieri of Team USA also had some huge tricks, but neither him or Pates were able to get into the top three. The third American rider, Chase Josey of Idaho, put down a nice run but was also bested by the competition.

Totsuka is no stranger to podium finishes, holding gold medals from both the X Games and World Championships. His gold medal run was incredible, opening up with a triple cork 1440, followed by another triple cork 1440, right into a switch backside double rodeo 1260 (three and a half full spins). He capped the run off with a switch backside double cork 1260, earning him a score of 95.00 and an Olympic gold medal.

For Australian Scotty James, it was a heartbreaking event. Having finished first in qualifying and coming into the final as a favorite, James put down an amazing second run that landed him in second. In his third and final run, he went down on his last trick, finishing his Olympic run in second. This is James’ second Olympic silver medal. He took silver in Beijing in 2022 and bronze in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

In general, this event exhibited how far halfpipe snowboarding has come. From triple corks to 1620s (four and a half full spins), each rider left everything they had in the halfpipe, making it an intense final for everyone watching.

The 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics have two more freestyle snowboarding events for the games. Slopestyle qualifying begins with the women on February 16 at 4:30 AM EST, followed by the men’s qualifying on the same day at 8:00 AM EST.

Scotty James (left), Yuto Totsuka (middle), and Ryusei Yamada (right) pose with their medals for the men’s snowboard halfpipe podium at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. | Credit: FIS Snowboarding Facebook