Mitsuki Ono and Ikuma Horishima Both Take Bronze — A Milestone Day as Japan Reaches Double-Digit Medals【Milano Cortina 2026】
On Day 7 of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics (local date the 12th), two of Japan’s leading snow-sport aces stood on the podium on the same day. Mitsuki Ono won bronze in the women’s snowboard halfpipe, and Ikuma Horishima captured bronze in the men’s freestyle ski moguls. With those results, Japan’s total medal count at these Games reached 10, marking a major milestone in the team’s ongoing medal surge.
In the women’s halfpipe, Korea’s Gaon Choi took gold with 90.25 points, the United States’ Chloe Kim earned silver with 88.00, and Ono secured bronze with 85.00. Japan’s 16-year-olds Sara Shimizu and Rise Kudo also made the final and delivered impressive runs to finish 4th and 5th, respectively.
In the men’s moguls, Australia’s Cooper Woods won gold, Canada’s Mikaël Kingsbury took silver, and Horishima claimed bronze. It was his second consecutive Olympic bronze after Beijing 2022, reaffirming that he continues to be a fixture among the world’s top three.
Mitsuki Ono Earns Long-Awaited Olympic Medal in Women’s Halfpipe — Japan’s 4th Snowboard Medal of the Games
The women’s snowboard halfpipe final was held at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy. With height and difficulty both at a premium, the final turned chaotic as many riders fell. Ono leaned on her trademark consistency, focusing on clean execution under pressure.
In her best run of the three-run final, she linked high frontside spins with a solid series of backside tricks and posted 85.00 points. That put her third behind Korea’s Gaon Choi and “queen” Chloe Kim, delivering Ono the Olympic medal she had been chasing.
This bronze was Japan’s fourth medal in snowboarding at these Games. Japan had already taken gold and silver in the men’s big air through Aira Kimura and Ryoma Kimata, and Kokomo Murase won gold in the women’s big air—numbers that underline Japan’s status as a snowboarding powerhouse.
At 21, Ono is already a proven medal contender with podiums at the World Championships and X Games. At her second Olympics—after the heartbreak of Beijing 2022—she finally added the Olympic medal she’d been aiming for.
Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe Final — Key Results (Top Finishers & Japan)
| Place | Athlete | Country/Region | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Gaon Choi | South Korea | 90.25 |
| Silver | Chloe Kim | United States | 88.00 |
| Bronze | Mitsuki Ono | Japan | 85.00 |
| 4th | Sara Shimizu | Japan | 84.00 |
| 5th | Rise Kudo | Japan | 81.75 |
*Scores and placements are based on the official Milano Cortina 2026 results and FIS records.
Four Japanese riders competed in the women’s halfpipe final, with three finishing inside the top five. As the younger generation continues to produce results on the world stage, this event also provides a major boost toward the next World Championships and the 2030 Games.
Ikuma Horishima Wins Back-to-Back Olympic Bronze in Men’s Moguls — A Third Place of Both Joy and Frustration
Meanwhile, in men’s freestyle ski moguls, Ikuma Horishima earned bronze for a second straight Olympics after Beijing 2022. He attacked from qualifying, advanced as the top seed, and then lit up the venue in the super final with high-difficulty airs and razor-sharp turns.
Even so, gold medalist Cooper Woods (Australia) and silver medalist Mikaël Kingsbury (Canada) edged him out in a tight fight, leaving Horishima just short of the top step he was aiming for. Still, standing on the podium at back-to-back Games once again confirms his status as one of the world’s elite mogul skiers.
Horishima is known as a “big-stage performer,” with multiple world championship gold medals already to his name. With dual moguls still to come, he remains in position to chase another medal and continue driving Japan’s medal momentum.
Men’s Moguls Final — Medalists
| Place | Athlete | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Cooper Woods | Australia |
| Silver | Mikaël Kingsbury | Canada |
| Bronze | Ikuma Horishima | Japan |
*Medalist information is based on the official Milano Cortina 2026 results.
Japan Reaches 10 Total Medals at the Games
With Ono and Horishima both taking bronze, Japan’s medal total at these Games reached 10. For Team Japan—already on the podium across multiple sports including snowboarding, ski jumping, and the figure skating team event—this was a day that perfectly captured the momentum of Milano Cortina 2026.
Looking ahead, Japan still has medal chances in many events: men’s snowboard halfpipe and slopestyle, ski jumping large hill, mid- and long-distance speed skating, and team sports such as curling and ice hockey.
What dramas will Japan’s athletes deliver across the snow and ice venues as they carry the Hinomaru? The second half of Milano Cortina 2026 remains must-watch.
