Olympic Halfpipe: Japanese ace denies Scotty James glory in dramatic final

Yuto Totsuka has claimed Olympic gold in the men’s halfpipe at the Milan Cortina Games, delivering a spectacular 95-point run to edge out Australian rival Scotty James.

The 24-year-old produced a technical masterclass in Livigno, landing back-to-back triple corks during a massive second attempt.

That high-risk strategy was rewarded by the judges, vaulting the current World Cup leader into pole position with a score that proved insurmountable.

James suffers final run heartbreak

Scotty James, looking to upgrade the silver he won at Beijing 2022, had looked formidable after topping the qualification standings on Wednesday.

However, the Australian veteran could not improve on his second-run score of 93.50.

Pushing for gold on the very last run of the competition, the 31-year-old fell near the bottom of the pipe, confirming his status as runner-up for the second consecutive Games.

It marks a third Olympic medal for James, adding to the bronze he collected in Pyeongchang eight years ago.

Japanese snowboarders dominate in Italy

It was a historic day for Japan, with Ryusei Yamada securing bronze to ensure two steps on the podium were occupied by the Asian nation.

The result continues a trend of dominance at these Milan Cortina Games, marking the team’s fifth and sixth snowboarding medals.

Previous victories include golds for Kira Kimura and Kokomo Murase in big air events.

While Totsuka celebrated, there was disappointment for defending champion Ayumu Hirano.

Still recovering from significant facial and pelvic injuries sustained last month, the 2022 gold medallist could only manage a seventh-place finish.

Ruka Hirano narrowly missed out on the medals, finishing fourth to round out a powerful showing for the Japanese squad.