Snowboard

1\. You Young, figure skating sensation
Korean superstar figure skater You Young came to Lausanne carrying great expectations on her shoulders.
And didn't she deliver.
You won her first Korean national title at 11 years of age - one year younger than her idol Yuna Kim \- and at 15

Lausanne 2020 | Winter Youth Olympic Games

Kagiyama ISO crop

Kagiyama, You, Gu, Michkov, 'skimo' - the top 10 breakout stars of Lausanne 2020

Ruka Hirano claimed the gold medal in the Men's Halfpipe - how did he do it? Watch for yourself in the highlights

Ruka HIRANO

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Men's Halfpipe - Highlights | Winter Youth Olympic Games 2020

Japan's rising halfpipe star Hirano Ruka seems to have it all figured out. Train harder than everyone else, do tricks nobody else does and win gold. At least that's his strategy. And it worked again as he added Youth Olympics gold to his title at the junior world championships.

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Hirano Ruka reveals success strategy

United States of America

Simone

Simone Biles - Olympics.com

Sweden

Armand

Armand Duplantis - Olympics.com

Mikaela

Mikaela SHIFFRIN

Ilia

Ilia Malinin - Olympics.com

Ruka

The eastern European nation of Georgia will host the Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships for the first time in 2023, from February 19 to March 5.
Standing 1,700m above sea level, the action will take place in the Bakuriani ski resort, on the northern slope of Trialeti Range, approximately

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 15: Silver medallist Zoi Sadowski Synnott of Team New Zealand celebrates during the Women's Snowboard Big Air medal ceremony on Day 11 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Beijing Medal Plaza on February 15, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott

Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2023: Preview and stars to watch

Japanese snowboarders Hirano Ruka and Ono Mitsuki collected World Cup Crystal Globes after securing halfpipe victories in Calgary on Friday (10 February).
The pair completed hat-tricks of World Cup halfpipe triumphs having won previously at Laax and last weekend at Mammoth Mountain.
Ono was already assured of the title at

MAMMOTH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 04:  Ruka Hirano #1 of Japan reacts after his final run in the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe Finals on day four of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain on February 04, 2023 in Mammoth, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Hirano Ruka Mammoth

Hirano Ruka and Ono Mitsuki collect World Cup halfpipe crowns after Calgary triumphs

After team Norway's sweep in the freeski slopestyle, it was Japan who soared above the competition in snowboard halfpipe.
Hirano Ruka and Ono Mitsuki claimed the Mammoth Mountain World Cup at the U.S. Grand Prix on Saturday (4 February), battling windy conditions that would eventually lead to the cancelation of

MAMMOTH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 04:  Mitsuki Ono #2 of Japan competes during the Women's Snowboard Halfpipe Finals on day four of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain on February 04, 2023 in Mammoth, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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Hirano Ruka and Ono Mitsuki claim snowboard halfpipe titles for Japan at Mammoth Mountain World Cup

With a dominant performance in the qualifying rounds on 9 February, Team Japan is now a genuine contender to sweep the podium in the men’s snowboard halfpipe finals here at Beijing 2022.
The 23-year-old Hirano Ayumu is top dog among the four massively talented Japanese pipe specialists. His huge airs

Beijing 2022 | Olympic Winter Games

ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 09: Ayumu Hirano of Team Japan performs a trick during the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe Qualification on Day 5 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park on February 09, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Ayumu Hirano of Japan

Hirano trio (plus one) lead Japan's hunt of halfpipe sweep 

Talk about setting the tone: Hirano Ayumu dropped in first on men's snowboard halfpipe qualifying and got so much air that the cameraman nearly lost him in the sky at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
Hirano hit a frontside 1440 and a cab 1440 with outrageous amplitude and made

ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 09: Shaun White of Team United States reacts during the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe Qualification on Day 5 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park on February 09, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Shaun White of Team United States reacts during the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe Qualification 

Men's Olympic halfpipe final at Beijing 2022: Preview, schedule & stars to watch

No, not that Hirano.
While two-time Olympic silver medallist Ayumu may own bragging rights to the name in the snowboard world, Ruka is cutting into that property - fast.
“I want to be the one to win gold”, Ruka told Olympics.com before going on to become the Lausanne 2020 Youth

MAMMOTH, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 08:  Ruka Hirano of Team Japan shares a moment with Wooly Mammoth as he walked to the podium after finishing second place  in the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe Final at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix  at Mammoth Mountain on January 08, 2022 in Mammoth, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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It's Ruka: snowboard's other Hirano arrives in time for Beijing 2022

After almost two years away from competition, Chloe Kim is back with a win.
The Olympic snowboard halfpipe champion took the World Cup event in Laax, Switzerland with a solid second run after falling as she overdid a frontside 1080 tail grab on her first run.
Japan's Ono Mitsuki, gold

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Chloe Kim wins on World Cup return in Laax

Sarah Hoefflin took victory at the U.S. Grand Prix as Switzerland dominated the freestyle skiing slopestyle events at Mammoth Mountain in California on Friday (31 January).
The Olympic champion had finished second to recent Winter Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Kelly Sildaru at last weekend's Winter X Games in Aspen.

Hoefflin Mammoth THUMB

Sarah Hoefflin back on top in U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth

Hirano Ruka clinched the men's snowboard halfpipe title at Lausanne 2020 edging out his namesake Hirano Kaishu. The two are not related. World junior champion Ruka produced an impressive score of 97.33 points.

Ruka HIRANO

Featured

Kagiyama, You, Gu, Michkov, 'skimo' - the top 10 breakout stars of Lausanne 2020

Men's Halfpipe - Highlights | Winter Youth Olympic Games 2020

Hirano Ruka reveals success strategy

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