Kokomo Murase of Japan upgraded her 2022 Beijing big air bronze to gold Monday night at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games, and she didn't even have to pull out her big trick to do it.
With the podium contenders set, the reigning world champion complemented her first-run backside triple cork 1440 with a pristine final-run frontside triple 14 to overtake New Zealander Zoi Sadowski-Synnott for the lead. South Korean newcomer Yu Seung-Eun, the field's youngest competitor at 18, followed up with a front triple 14 attempt of her own, but fell, giving her bronze.
"I feel I've grown," Murase said. "I attacked from the first run, which I hadn't done last time, so I genuinely feel that's where my growth lies."
The 21-year-old had a back triple 1620 in her back pocket — she threw the trick at January's Winter X Games to become the first woman to land it in a contest — but ultimately didn't need it to secure the gold in Italy.
Sadowski-Synnott, New Zealand's first-ever Winter Olympic gold medalist, had a chance to complete an Olympic big air medal trifecta — she owns silver and bronze medals from previous Games — but instead repeated her silver-medal finish from 2022. After falling on her first run, she stomped a backside triple cork 1440 on her second, then nailed a switch back 1260 on her third to take the lead. But it wasn't enough to hold off Murase's lethal finisher.
The Kiwi still made history: Her silver makes her snowboarding's second athlete to ever win four career Olympic medals. Austria's Benjamin Karl became the first to do so Sunday in men's parallel giant slalom.
"I try not to think about [the stat] too much because it's snowboarding and it's fun," Sadowski-Synnott said. "We're doing tricks that are really scary and I just try to focus on the process. To add a fourth Olympic medal to my roster is pretty special."
After she'd solidified silver, the 24-year-old was honored by the New Zealand snowboard team with a traditional haka dance.
"I didn’t know that was happening, and I just went and saw my family, and then turned around, and the whole team was performing a haka for me, and it was really special. It meant a lot to me," she said.
"I feel very honored to have carried the New Zealand flag in the Opening Ceremony and to represent my country, New Zealand, Aotearoa [the country's name in native Maori language]."
Two-time defending gold medalist Anna Gasser, the only rider to win the event before tonight, finished 8th. The 34-year-old landed hard on her heels on a first-run cab triple 12 double grab — a trick she once pioneered as the first to ever land — tried it again on Run 2 but reverted out of the trick, then bowed to the camera before dropping in on a final-run back double 1080 Japan. She will compete in slopestyle next week in what's likely her last rodeo at the Olympics.
Murase's teammates Momo Suzuki (6th), Mari Fukada (9th) and Reira Iwabuchi (11th) also participated in the final. Suzuki couldn't clean up a back 14, Fukada missed on a back triple 14, and Suzuki fell twice on a front 14.
Great Britain's Mia Brookes, who qualified 3rd, had a shot to break the podium but sent it with a backside 1620 attempt and reverted her landing, finishing 4th.
No Americans qualified for the final.