Kokomo Murase Wins Long-Awaited Gold in Women’s Big Air — Japan’s First Ever Women’s Snowboarding Gold and a Big Air Sweep
In the women’s snowboard big air final at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics (Livigno, Italy; local date the 9th), Kokomo Murase (21) posted a total of 179.00 points to claim the gold medal she had long been chasing. It was a four-year redemption after her Beijing 2022 bronze, and it also marked Japan’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in a women’s snowboarding event.
Two days earlier in the men’s big air, Kira Kimura won gold with 179.50 points and Ryoma Kimata took silver. With Japan now owning gold in both the men’s and women’s big air, a new generation of Japan snowboarding has etched its presence into the Milano Cortina night sky.
Backside and Frontside Triple Cork 1440s Deliver a Comeback Victory
The competition was decided by the combined score of each rider’s best two runs out of three. Murase came out firing in run one, landing a backside triple cork 1440 with both height and style to pull in 89.75 points and immediately put herself at the heart of the title fight.
She dipped slightly in run two after taking on a higher-risk layout, but she saved her biggest statement for the final run. This time she cleanly nailed a frontside triple cork 1440 for 89.25 points, bringing her total (runs one and three) to 179.00. That late surge pushed her past New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (172.25) and Korea’s Yoo Seung-eun (171.00) to the top of the podium.
The moment her gold was confirmed, Murase covered her face and couldn’t hold back the tears. At the medal ceremony, she stood atop the podium with a beaming smile, holding up the medal that became Japan’s first women’s snowboarding Olympic gold.
A “First for Japan” and a Generational Shift Written into Women’s Snowboarding History
Big air is a relatively new Olympic discipline, first added at PyeongChang 2018. Until now, Austria’s “queen” Anna Gasser had dominated the women’s event with back-to-back Olympic golds. She made this final as well, but a challenging plan backfired in the last round and she finished 8th.
Murase, meanwhile, has been vocal since her Beijing 2022 bronze: “Next time, it has to be gold.” In Livigno, she matched that promise with a clutch performance—two triple corks when it mattered most—turning the night into a symbol of a generational change in women’s big air.
With Kimura and Kimata already going gold-silver in the men’s big air, it’s no exaggeration to say big air itself is becoming “Japan’s signature event.” Milano Cortina looks set to be remembered as a turning point where Japan snowboarding began to lead the world.
Women’s Big Air Final Medalists (Official Results)
| Place | Athlete | Country | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Kokomo Murase | Japan | 179.00 |
| Silver | Zoi Sadowski-Synnott | New Zealand | 172.25 |
| Bronze | Yoo Seung-eun | South Korea | 171.00 |
*Scores and placements are based on the official Milano Cortina 2026 results.
In addition to Murase, Japan’s other finalists also showed the team’s depth: Momo Suzuki placed 6th, Mari Fukada 9th, and Reira Iwabuchi 11th—meaning all four Japanese riders who reached the final finished inside the top 12.
Next Up: Slopestyle — “Attacking Kokomo” Isn’t Slowing Down
Murase is also a proven world-class slopestyle rider alongside her big air resume. At these Games, she is scheduled for the slopestyle qualifier on the 16th and the final on the 17th, putting a big air–slopestyle double within realistic reach.
With Sadowski-Synnott and other top contenders—such as slopestyle world champion Mia Brookes (Great Britain)—in the field, another ultra-high-level battle in the “triple cork era” seems likely. Livigno Snow Park at Milano Cortina still has plenty more worth watching.
Official Highlights & Related Posts
▼ Official Olympics X (@Olympics) highlight post
▼ Japanese-language highlight video
