Su close, but so proud

There may have been no gold for Su Yiming, but there was heaps of pride, as China's snowboarding pioneer is determined to use the unsuccessful defense of his Olympic big air title as renewed motivation to keep elevating his performances and inspiring the next generation.

Despite coming up short in his attempt to retain his Beijing 2022 big air crown, Su was all smiles after finishing third in Saturday's final at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, having been overwhelmed by the quality and consistency of Japanese duo Kira Kimura and Ryoma Kimata on the first night of competition following the Games' grand opening at Milan's San Siro stadium.

The 21-year-old, draped in the red Chinese flag, walked off the podium totally unfazed by his third-placed finish, waved to the crowd at the Livigno Snow Park, hugged his parents, and fist-bumped supporters at the northern Italian resort, before taking lengthy media interviews to reflect on his journey.

"I gave everything I have, and I feel relieved that I won't need to carry the high pressure that comes with the title of defending champion any more," Su said at the post-final news conference.

The pressure of being the undisputed favorite to deliver Team China's first gold at the Games apparently took a toll on Su's execution, with his second run ending in a wobble and landing a bit off-balance on his third attempt costing him dearly in the high-flying event, where smooth landings are just as important as the spins and style of the aerial stunts.

Su eventually scored a combined 168.50 points from his first and third run, settling for bronze, following the Japanese one-two finish of Olympic debutants Kimura and Kimata, who, respectively, won gold with 179.50 points and silver with 171.50.

Big air consists of one single jump off a huge ramp, where the rider varies spins, flips and grabs of the board.

The temporary Olympic slope at the Livigno Snow Park peaks at over 40 meters, sending the riders soaring down a landing ramp that was lit by floodlights for the nighttime event.

By missing out on the top step, though, Su has managed to complete his Olympic collection, with his new bronze rounding out a full set of medals, joining his Beijing 2022 big air gold and his slopestyle silver medal.

"I'm really happy and proud of myself to earn this medal at my second Olympic Games. I had so much pressure going in as a defending champion," Su said after the final.

"I'm just really proud of myself for dealing with such pressure and still being able to land my tricks. Finally, I have every single color of medal!

"I'm truly delighted and honored to wear the national colors, representing my country on the Olympic stage again and to secure the delegation's first medal at Milano-Cortina 2026."

Entering the Games atop this season's World Cup standings, Su, who won the first two Cup events of the 2025-26 calendar, learned the hard way that the collective progression of snowboarding big air has surpassed his own.

To throw a 1980 trick (five-and-a-half full spins) would've been enough to secure titles at the international level during the Beijing 2022 Olympic cycle, underlined by Su winning home gold by stomping two 1800s.

Riding toward Milan, however, it's been the entry benchmark for any serious title contender.

At the 2025 X Games in Aspen, Japan's teen star Hiroto Ogiwara made history by landing the first-ever 2340 (six-and-a-half rotations) in competition, taking home gold in the men's big air.

Being outperformed by his "frenemies", with Su often training together with Kimura and Kimata under Japanese coach Sato Yasuhiro, has inspired the Chinese all-rounder to keep pushing his own limits.

"Even before the third run, we anticipated today's final might be the most fiercely contested in history," Su said.

Next up for Su will be an attempt to go one better than Beijing 2022 in slopestyle, another of his strength events, the qualification round of which will kick off on Feb 16 at the same venue. The final session on Feb 18, should he win gold, will be a double celebration for Su — it's his 22nd birthday.

"I missed out on gold in slopestyle four years ago, so now I am even more motivated to try to make up for that here in Italy," said Su, who's also won multiple World Cup series titles in slopestyle by employing a variety of tricks.

"In the next 10 days, I will be 100 percent focused on training for slopestyle, going all out to prepare myself the best I can, while also trying to enjoy the ride.

"I now carry more responsibility. My goal is not only to accomplish my dream, but to also be a responsible rider so that I can represent my nation well.

"Through these opportunities, I hope I can have a positive impact on other younger athletes, and for those who just love the sport, so that they can see more opportunities.

"I hope I can serve as an example and inspire more people to feel a passion for snowboarding."