Fukada wins women's snowboard slopestyle gold

Mari Fukada won the women's slopestyle snowboard on Wednesday at the Milan Cortina Olympics, earning Japan its record-equaling fifth gold medal at the games.

Fukada was awarded 87.83 as she won a high-scoring event, beating silver medalist and defending champion Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand, who scored 87.48 at Livigno Snow Park. Kokomo Murase of Japan finished with bronze, scoring 85.80.

Japan's gold medal tally at the Milan Cortina Games now equals the five it won as host at the Nagano Winter Games in 1998. It also now has 22 total medals, extending the record it set earlier at these Olympics.

The 19-year-old Olympic debutant Fukada, who finished fourth in the event at the 2025 world championships, had two runs that scored in the 80s, but her last -- featuring a switch backside 1260 mute grab and two 720s -- earned her the gold.

"The switch-backside trick is something I've worked on so I'm really happy I was able to land it here," Fukada, an Aichi Prefecture native, said.

"I was really frustrated with my result in big air, so I switched my focus and reminded myself that slopestyle was still ahead. People around me encouraged me and told me I could do it, which gave me confidence."

Murase, 21, adds the slopestyle bronze to the big air gold she won earlier at the games, but expressed irritation at the result.

"I was aiming for a second gold medal, so I went for a gold-winning routine and felt like I delivered a perfect run that could win. But I didn't get the score I expected," she said.

Despite her stellar return at her first Olympics, Murase said she is determined to improve.

"At first I was really happy (after winning gold), but it has ended with a bit of frustration. Next time I will absolutely win (slopestyle) gold and use this frustration as motivation for the next Olympics."

Japan's other entrant, Reira Iwabuchi, finished in eighth after failing to put together a clean run in her three attempts.

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