The 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics men’s snowboard halfpipe promises to be one of the most electrifying and unpredictable contests in the sport’s history, with riders launching stratospheric amplitude, contest-ready quadruple corks, and a field blending veteran mastery, youthful explosion, and relentless progression.

Reigning Olympic champion Ayumu Hirano remains the standard-bearer. The 27-year-old Japanese icon, who redefined the event with his frontside triple cork 1440 in Beijing, hunts a historic title defense—the first repeat gold since Shaun White’s three-peat and only the second ever for a man. After a commanding 2025/26 season that included sweeping the Grand Prix Final, Hirano continues to set the bar with technical difficulty and ice-cold execution. Teammate Yuto Totsuka, a perennial podium threat and recent World Cup standout, provides Japan with elite depth as the nation aims to extend its dominance in the post-White era.

The fiercest rivalry arrives courtesy of Australia’s dynamic pair. Scotty James has compiled one of snowboarding’s most decorated resumes—overflowing with nearly every major title except the one that has repeatedly slipped away: Olympic gold.

He first appeared on the Olympic stage as a teenage prodigy, competing in Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 without reaching the finals. Breakthrough came in PyeongChang 2018, where he claimed bronze in one of the most legendary halfpipe finals ever, behind Shaun White’s comeback gold and Hirano’s silver. Four years later in Beijing, James raised his game to silver, unleashing massive frontside and switch backside 1440s with towering amplitude, yet still finishing just behind Hirano’s triple cork revolution.

Beyond the Olympic pipe, James has been nearly unbeatable: eight X Games SuperPipe golds (tying Shaun White’s all-time record), capped by a record-extending victory at X Games Aspen 2026 just weeks ago with groundbreaking trick combinations; four FIS World Championship titles (2015, 2017, 2019, 2025), including the most recent in Engadin; multiple Crystal Globes; a near-perfect 99.00 score; and relentless World Cup supremacy. Now 31, armed with polished, sky-high runs built on massive 1440s and switch 1620s, James enters as the favorite—and the rider most driven to finally turn Olympic near-misses into gold.

Joining him is 20-year-old compatriot Valentino Guseli, the sport’s most daring new talent. Guseli etched his name in history by landing the first clean competitive quadruple cork at the 2025 X Games, following it with Dew Tour gold and strong World Championship results. His switch-dominant, gravity-defying style makes him a genuine medal contender—and potential podium redefiner—in his second Olympics.

When the Cortina superpipe fires up, every hit will be decisive. One flawless drop—fusing unthinkable height, boundary-pushing spins, and unflappable nerves—could extend a dynasty, anoint a long-denied king, or usher in a bold new generation. The gap between legend and fourth place has never felt narrower.

Resolution criteria

The men's halfpipe competition will take place February 11-13, 2026, with finals on February 13. The gold medal winner will be determined by the highest score in the final run, as judged by the FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation) panel. Competitors are scored on the breadth and difficulty of the jumps. Resolution will be based on official FIS results published at https://www.fis-ski.com/snowboard-park-and-pipe.