On a dazzling, chilly night in Livigno, Italy, the women’s snowboarding big air final at the 2026 Winter Olympics delivered a spectacle for the ages, marking a seismic shift in the sport’s landscape. The event, held under the bright floodlights of Livigno Snow Park on February 9, was not just another Olympic contest—it was a showcase of progression, grit, and changing of the guard. Japan’s Kokomo Murase emerged as the new queen of big air, executing tricks never before seen in Olympic competition and clinching the gold medal with a jaw-dropping performance that left fans—and her competitors—stunned.
For those following women’s snowboarding over the past decade, Anna Gasser of Austria has been a household name. The 34-year-old two-time Olympic champion was aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive gold medal. Gasser had made it through the qualifying rounds the night before, landing clean jumps and earning her spot among the top 12 finalists. She was joined by New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, the reigning Olympic slopestyle champion, and Japan’s own Kokomo Murase, who had signaled her gold medal intentions even before arriving in Italy. "I want to execute my tricks perfectly, win the gold medal and return to Japan," Murase had boldly declared. And execute she did.
The final itself was a technical masterclass, widely hailed as the most advanced women’s big air contest in Olympic history. The format allowed each snowboarder three runs, with only their two best scores combined for the final ranking. Murase set the tone early, landing a backside triple cork 1440 mute grab on her first run for an eye-popping 89.75 points, immediately taking the lead. South Korea’s Yu Seungeun, an 18-year-old Olympic debutant, responded with a frontside triple cork 1440 Indy grab for 87.75 points, slotting herself firmly into medal contention. Sadowski-Synnott, after a nervous fall on her opening jump, nailed her second run with an 88.75, keeping the pressure on the leaders.
Anna Gasser, the legend many came to watch, knew she had to go all-in. She attempted two 1440-degree jumps but failed to land either, ultimately finishing eighth. "I knew today was a day to go all-in with the tricks, so I'm not blaming myself. I left everything out there," Gasser reflected after the event. Her influence on the sport was not lost on her peers. Sadowski-Synnott, who now owns four Olympic medals across slopestyle and big air, said, "I feel she had led the forefront of women’s snowboard progress, and if I could name the one person who has had the biggest impact on snowboarding it would be Anna Gasser." Even Gasser herself acknowledged the passing of the torch: "I’m happy to pass on the crown, the big crown, to Kokomo. She really deserves it and, yeah, it's crazy to see how far the sport has come in the last years."
The drama intensified with each run. After two rounds, Yu Seungeun held the lead with a combined 171.00 points—could the teenager from South Korea pull off a shock gold? Sadowski-Synnott, sitting further down the standings, dropped in for her final run and stomped a switch backside 1260 mute grab for 83.50, pushing her total to 172.25 and briefly taking the gold medal position. But Murase, unfazed by the mounting pressure, delivered a frontside triple cork 1440 for an 89.25, bringing her total to a staggering 179.00 points—an insurmountable lead.
Yu, the last rider with a chance to upset the podium, went all out on her final attempt but landed on her rear, sealing her fate with the bronze medal. The final standings were clear: Kokomo Murase of Japan with gold (179.00), Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand with silver (172.25), and Yu Seungeun of South Korea with bronze (171.00). British rider Mia Brookes, just 19, finished fourth after attempting a 1620-degree jump—landing it, but with an extra half-revolution that cost her crucial points. "I can definitely go home saying I gave it everything," Brookes remarked, highlighting the relentless progression in women’s snowboarding.
The magnitude of Murase’s achievement cannot be overstated. Not only did she upgrade her bronze from Beijing 2022 to gold in Milano Cortina 2026, but she also executed the rare triple cork 1440 twice in the same competition—a trick that was unthinkable just four years ago. Her victory is the latest in a string of successes for the Japanese snowboarding contingent; Kira Kimura had already secured the men’s big air gold two days earlier, cementing Japan’s dominance in the discipline. Murase, who had previously captured gold and silver at the 2025 World Championships, comes from a family of snowboarders—her younger sister Yura won big air gold at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics, underscoring the depth of talent in the Murase household.
Reflecting on her triumph, Murase expressed both relief and pride: "I wasn't sure I would make it onto the podium until I landed that third run. When I did, the emotions flooded over me," she said. She credited her love for the sport and the support of her family for her continued success. The crowd, including influential figures like Donna Carpenter of Burton Snowboards, recognized the night as a milestone for the sport. "The most progressive contest I've ever seen," Carpenter commented. "It was incredible. Jake would've been happy with tonight."
The technical leaps on display in Livigno were a testament to how quickly women’s snowboarding is evolving. The three medalists combined for five triple corks out of six scoring jumps, a level of difficulty that would have seemed impossible in previous Olympic cycles. The event was also a celebration of snowboarding’s pioneers, with Gasser’s legacy serving as inspiration for the new generation. Gasser, who first landed a Cab Double Cork 900 back in 2013 and later became the first woman to land a 1260 double cork, helped set the stage for the tricks that now define the sport.
As the floodlights dimmed and the athletes embraced at the bottom of the course, it was clear that a new era had dawned in women’s big air. Kokomo Murase’s golden night not only rewrote the record books but also inspired a new wave of riders to dream bigger and fly higher. With the slopestyle event still to come, all eyes will remain on Murase and her rivals as the Olympic snowboarding spectacle continues in the Italian Alps.