Toward Milano Cortina 2026: Japan’s Snowboard “Lock-Ins” Make Their Presence Felt – Kimura Aira, Fukada Mari and Others Shine in the World Cup

With the opening of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games just around the corner, several snowboarders who are reported to be “virtual locks” for Japan’s national team are steadily putting up results on the World Cup stage. At the first slopestyle World Cup stop held on 10 January 2026 (local time) in Snowmass, Colorado, USA, those names once again stood out.

In Snowmass, Japan’s “lock-in” group all reach the final and finish near the top

In qualifying for the first slopestyle World Cup, Aira Kimura (Murasaki Sports), who is considered a lock for the Milano Cortina Olympic team on the men’s side, won his heat. Hiroto Ogihara and Yuto Kimura also advanced to the final. On the women’s side, the three riders being reported as near-certain Olympians – Mari Fukada (YAMAZEN), Kokomo Murase (TOKIO Inkarami) and Momo Suzuki (Kirara Quest) – all cruised through qualifying and booked their places in the eight-rider final.

In the final, Fukada placed second with 77.26 points as the top Japanese woman, Murase was third with 75.36, and Suzuki finished fourth – Japan’s women were right at the heart of the podium battle. On the men’s side, Aira Kimura came fifth, Yuto Kimura ninth and Ogihara thirteenth. The wins went to Laurie Blouin of Canada in the women’s contest and Jake Cantor of the United States in the men’s, but for Japan this was very much a competition where the “lock-in” group successfully underlined their presence.

Aira Kimura and Hiroto Ogihara: men’s big air “high-difficulty duo” also seen as locks

In men’s slopestyle / big air, both Aira Kimura and Hiroto Ogihara have been described as “virtual locks” for the Milano Cortina Olympic team in news from the Ski Association of Japan (SAJ) and the JOC. Kimura has spoken openly about his ambition to attempt ultra-high-difficulty tricks such as six off-axis rotations, while Ogihara has shocked the world with massive moves like the world’s first 2340 and a backside 1980. It’s no exaggeration to say that this “high-difficulty duo” are strong candidates to be at the very center of the medal fight in Milano Cortina.

In this season’s big air World Cup, Japanese riders have become regulars in the battle for wins, with Ogihara’s victories and Miyabi Onitsuka’s crystal globe in big air among the bright headlines. At Milano Cortina itself, it is becoming increasingly realistic to expect multiple Japanese riders dropping in for the final.

On the women’s side, Fukada, Murase and Suzuki sit firmly on the “lock-in” line

In women’s slopestyle / big air, Mari Fukada, Kokomo Murase and Momo Suzuki are being reported as “virtual locks” for the Milano Cortina Olympic team in syndicated Kyodo articles and news on the JOC’s official site.

• Mari Fukada: a regular on World Cup podiums this season. Took second place at the Snowmass opener and showcased riding that beautifully balances difficulty and consistency.
• Kokomo Murase: Beijing 2022 bronze medallist. World champion and the first woman ever to land a backside 1620, she has literally pushed the technical ceiling of women’s snowboarding upward.
• Momo Suzuki: a new-generation rider who has rapidly risen to prominence in recent seasons. Shows high overall quality in both big air and slopestyle and plays a key role in this three-woman unit.

The common thread for these three is the way they marry “difficulty” with “style.” The big kickers and rail sections in Milano Cortina are expected to be laid out in a way that demands all-around ability from the riders, and the Japanese women’s team looks like a lineup that fits those requirements perfectly.

Selection criteria and timeline: the race for spots heads into its final sprint toward 19 January

Selection for Japan’s snowboard team is being carried out based on the “Selection Criteria for the 25th Olympic Winter Games (2026 / Milano Cortina)” published by the Ski Association of Japan (SAJ. For slopestyle / big air, recommendation is determined using factors such as combined FIS points rankings from World Cups and world championships across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons.

The key dates used to delimit the evaluation period are certain events up to the third weekend of December 2025, and 19 January 2026. On this timeline, FIS will finalize and publish the list of quota allocations for the Olympic start fields, and each nation’s ultimate number of places will become clear. In other words, we are now squarely in the phase where current World Cup results feed directly into Milano Cortina tickets.

Even so, those being labelled as “locks” cannot relax until the official team announcement. Only after the FIS points lists and quota allocations are finalized, and the JOC formally names Japan’s delegation, will they finally be able to attach the title of “Olympian” to their names.

Halfpipe stars and younger riders also moving forward with Milano Cortina in mind

While slopestyle and big air attract much of the attention, Japan’s halfpipe riders are also quietly gearing up for Milano Cortina. Stars such as Ayumu Hirano, Mitsuki Ono, Sena Tomita, Ruki Tomita, Ruka Hirano and Yuto Totsuka – all world-class names – are steadily building toward the Games. In the World Cup series, Japanese riders are fixtures in the podium fight in both men’s and women’s contests, and it’s no longer rare to see multiple Japanese flags on the same podium. Japan’s reputation as a “halfpipe powerhouse” remains as strong as ever.

Documentaries and short interviews on TEAM JAPAN’s official channels show the athletes’ daily training lives and their thoughts as they look ahead to Milano Cortina. Fans who want to see the story behind the selection battles will definitely want to keep an eye on that content as well.

Summary: Japan’s snowboard team for Milano Cortina is shaping up as a “gold-medal-capable” squad

The slopestyle / big air riders being tipped as locks, the big names in halfpipe, and a wave of emerging talent coming through – taken together, Japan’s snowboard team for Milano Cortina 2026 is gradually becoming a squad that can realistically aim for gold medals in multiple events.

As 19 January – when Olympic quota spots are finalized – and the formal announcement of Team Japan draw ever closer, the riders are taking on the tough mission of “delivering results while getting through the season healthy.” It will be hard to look away from upcoming World Cup results and the news around the final team announcement.