Japan's Kokomo Murase Claims Snowboard Big Air Gold with Stunning Final Jump at Milano Cortina 2026

Japan's Murase Kokomo rose to the occasion at Milano Cortina 2026 on Monday, landing her winning jump on her final run to add the Olympic gold to her world title with her women's big air victory. The 21-year-old snowboarder secured a combined winning score of 179.00 points at the Winter Olympics.

The reigning world champion upgraded her bronze medal from Beijing 2022, leapfrogging defending silver medallist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand (172.25 points) on her final jump to claim gold. Murase executed the rare triple cork 1440 — a trick that requires three off-axis flips through the air while also rotating four times — to seal her victory in dramatic fashion.

Sadowski-Synnott, who won gold in Beijing 2022, settled for silver this time around, while South Korean teenager Yu Seungeun bagged bronze in her Olympic debut. The competition marked a changing of the guard in women's big air, with defending champion Anna Gasser of Austria bidding farewell to the sport she has dominated for years.

Murase's victory came just two days after her Japanese teammates swept the top two medals in the men's big air event, continuing Japan's remarkable success in Olympic snowboarding. The country has established itself as a powerhouse in the sport, with multiple medals across various snowboarding disciplines at Milano Cortina 2026.

The gold medal adds to an impressive resume for Murase, who has been consistently among the world's best in big air and slopestyle competitions. Her ability to execute high-difficulty tricks with precision under Olympic pressure demonstrates why she is considered one of the most talented snowboarders of her generation. The triple cork 1440, which few female riders can consistently land, has become her signature move and proved to be the difference-maker when it mattered most.

With this victory, Japan continues to build on its legacy in winter sports, particularly in snowboarding, where the nation has produced multiple Olympic champions across different events. Murase's gold medal performance on February 9 at the Milano Cortina Games will be remembered as one of the defining moments of the 2026 Winter Olympics.