Australia’s Scotty James delivered a performance full of drama and daring in the men’s snowboard halfpipe final at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, but once again the top podium spot proved elusive. On a glittering night under the floodlights of Livigno Sports Park on February 13, James clinched his third Olympic medal—another silver—after a final that raised the bar for the sport and left fans breathless.
James, a four-time reigning world champion and eight-time X Games gold medallist, entered these Games carrying the hopes of a nation and his own ambition to complete the Olympic medal set. Having already claimed bronze in PyeongChang 2018 and silver in Beijing 2022, the 31-year-old openly declared that gold was his “north star” heading into his fifth Olympic appearance. The stakes couldn’t have been higher, nor the stage more electric.
The final itself was a showcase of snowboarding’s relentless progression. Athletes pushed the envelope with gravity-defying tricks, and the packed crowd roared as each competitor hurtled down the pipe. James, the top qualifier, stumbled on his first run, scoring just 48.75 after a missed landing. But he rebounded in spectacular fashion on his second attempt, landing a combination that had never been seen in Olympic competition: a switch backside 1440 directly into a backside 1440. The judges rewarded him with a stunning 93.50, propelling him into medal contention and locking in at least a silver.
Yet, James wasn’t content to play it safe. For his third and final run, he attempted a backside double-cork 1620—a trick he’d never landed in competition. The risk was immense, and this time it didn’t pay off. James tumbled on his final hit, hands over his head in disbelief as the crowd gasped. That left Japan’s Yuto Totsuka, the world No. 1, to claim gold with a near-flawless 95.00 on his second run. Ryusei Yamada, also of Japan, took bronze with a 92.00.
James’ disappointment was palpable as he was comforted by Australia’s canoe great Jessica Fox, who presented him with his medal. "It’s a bit numb, like I don’t really know how to feel," James admitted after the event, according to The Guardian. "The next 24 hours I’ll probably have a bit of a cry, but I’ll be happy as well because representing the country and winning a medal is unbelievable, and I’m really proud of that." He continued, "I think what I can live with is that I tried my best and tried to do a run there on the last run – that was my aim here and I was unable to land it, and yeah, it’s on me."
Despite the heartbreak, James’ achievement is historic. With three Olympic medals—bronze, silver, and now another silver—he becomes Australia’s most decorated winter athlete. His second-place finish also contributed to Australia’s most successful single day at a Winter Olympics, coming just hours after Josie Baff clinched gold in the snowboard cross at the same venue.
Reflecting on his approach, James explained his decision to go all out on the final run. "Potentially I could have done it with a 14, but for myself, I had to do the 16," he said. "I wanted to push it, and that’s what I was here to do, regardless of the result." He added, "I think my first run, if I landed that, I think the medal would have been a different colour. The last run was kind of for me, but yeah, it’s hard to look at it like that because I can’t change the result, but yeah, it is what it is."
James’ career has been defined by his willingness to drive the sport forward. Just last month, he became the first rider to land a switch backside 1440 and backside 1440 back-to-back, and he’s been vocal about his desire to revolutionize halfpipe snowboarding. "At this level it gets harder and harder every year and I’ve enjoyed spearheading it in the direction that I love and being a part of it," James told Olympics.com. "The sport has progressed heaps since Beijing, the tricks are crazy now with the 1400s, 1600s, triple corks and alley-oops, it’s getting out of hand. The progression has been nuts."
He continued, "I can go to sleep tonight knowing that I tried my best. I did leave it all out there and that’s all you can really do as an athlete or as a person in general so to do that tonight, I can live with that. It felt pretty good to stomp the second run but to be honest, from an execution standpoint, the first run felt really really good, and the third did too, so it was a shame I came unstuck on the last hit but it is what it is."
The final was also notable for the return of James’ longtime rival, Ayumu Hirano of Japan, the Beijing 2022 halfpipe champion. Hirano, battling a knee injury and a fractured hip, managed to make the final and finished seventh—a testament to his grit and determination. James offered heartfelt praise: "Ayumu’s a warrior, he battles hard and huge respect to him, one of my favourite snowboarders ever. I knew he was in a tough position physically, so it was amazing to watch him ride and get back up and keep on fighting."
Australia’s other competitor in the final, 20-year-old Valentino Guseli, also faced adversity. After crashing on his first two runs, Guseli landed his last attempt for a score of 88.00, finishing fifth—an improvement on his Beijing result, all the more impressive given his recovery from a ruptured ACL. "Well, on the first two runs I sucked, but I landed my last one and I got one place better than I did in the last Olympics, so we’re going up, which is cool," Guseli said. "I wanted to land that run that I did last perfectly on my first run and then keep upping it and I had some ideas of how I was going to do that. It didn’t end up happening, and yeah, that’s life."
The men’s snowboard halfpipe final at Livigno Sports Park will be remembered as one of the most thrilling in Olympic history. The tricks were bigger, the stakes higher, and the emotions raw. For Scotty James, the gold remains out of reach, but his legacy as a pioneer and champion is secure. As he left the snow, interacting with fans and soaking up the atmosphere, it was clear that while silver may feel bittersweet, the story of his Olympic journey is far from over.