LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Kokomo Murase claimed gold of the women's snowboard big air with 179.00 points at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games here on Monday, while China's Zhang Xiaonan finished fifth in her Olympic debut, matching the country's best result in the event.
"I wasn't sure I would make it onto the podium until I landed that third run. When I did, the emotions flooded over me," said Murase, who improved from her bronze medal at Beijing 2022. "I feel I've grown. I attacked from the first run, which I hadn't done last time, so I genuinely feel that's where my growth lies."
