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02/13 10:20 CST For Scotty James, Ayumu Hirano and the rest, it's time to throw
down on the Olympic halfpipe
For Scotty James, Ayumu Hirano and the rest, it's time to throw down on the
Olympic halfpipe
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) --- Snowboarder Scotty James of Australia is nearing his
chance to fill in the only missing piece over a spectacular career of halfpipe
riding --- the Olympic gold medal.
He'll have more than enough competition.
James, defending champion Ayumu Hirano and his Japanese teammates, including
Yuto Totsuka, will be on the Olympic halfpipe Friday for what is widely hailed
as the premier event in snowboarding.
Hirano won four years ago in Shaun White's going-away party in China (White
finished fourth). But the Japanese champion is coming off a broken nose and
other injuries after a scary fall in Switzerland last month. He says he's only
at about 50%.
That could open a path for James, who finished second to Hirano at the 2022
Beijing Games and third to White and Hirano in their tense showdown four years
before that at the Pyeongchang Olympics.
The two keys to this contest:
--- Triple corks. This was the trick that put Hirano over the top at Secret
Garden four years ago. But in a sign of how quickly things progress in this
sport, it is now viewed as the price of admission for the podium.
Anyone who lands more than one --- New Zealand's Cam Melville Ives and
17-year-old American Alessandro Barbieri have done that --- will be at the top
of the conversation.
Also, can anyone add another half rotation and throw a triple-cork 1620? The
snowboard world went crazy when South Korea's Chaeun Lee did that at a training
session in 2024, but can someone bring it to a contest?
--- Style. This is what James is known for and, potentially, what's been
holding him back. He can execute insanely difficult jumps involving riding
backward, spinning a bunch, and often starting the spin looking up the
halfpipe, which takes his landing spot out of his vision.
It's as hard as it sounds, and his throwing of back-to-back backside 1440s at
the X Games last month was a first-of-its-kind combination. But if he doesn't
have triples to go with it, the judges might give him another consolation prize.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
