China’s Su Yiming back to winning ways, has 2026 Winter Olympics gold in his sights
Snowboard star Su Yiming claims Big Air World Cup title on home slopes at Genting Secret Garden Resort, compatriot Ge Chunyu takes silver
Olympic snowboard champion Su Yiming has laid down a marker for the defence of his Big Air title at next year’s Winter Games.
Su led a China one-two at the first Big Air World Cup of the 2025-26 FIS Snowboard Park and Pipe season, with Ge Chunyu beating current world champion Ryoma Kimata, of Japan, to silver.
Such was Su’s dominance on Saturday at the Genting Resort Secret Garden in Zhangjiakou that he was able to enjoy a relaxed final run on his way to a total score of 174.50, courtesy of a backside 1980 nosegrab on his first go and a switch backside 1980 melon on his second time down the hill.
Gold represented a timely return to form for the 21-year-old, who battled injury and a loss of motivation after winning at his home Olympics in 2022, but ahead of the Milano Cortina Games in February has regained his “intense desire” to win.
“This one means so much to me,” Su said. “It almost means everything to me. I’ve been away from the podium for a couple of years. I had a really bad season last year with my injury.