Su Yiming has become the standout star of the 2026 Winter Olympics, clinching gold in the men's snowboard slopestyle event on his 22nd birthday and etching his name in Chinese sporting history. The athlete from Jilin City secured the victory at Livigno with a leading score of 82.41 from his first run, ahead of Japan's Taiga Hasegawa on 82.13 and the United States' Jake Canter on 79.36.
This triumph delivered China's first gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games and built on Su's record from the Beijing 2022 Olympics, where he claimed gold in big air and silver in slopestyle.
Su Yiming's path started in Jilin City on 18 February 2004. His parents introduced him to the slopes atage four. By seven, Su had secured his first sponsorship deal. His talent soon caught the attention of film producers, leading to a role in 'The Taking of Tiger Mountain' in 2014, where he played Zi Shuan.
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The film's success led to more acting work, propelling him into child stardom in China. In 2018, he committed fully to snowboarding. Standing 5.6 feet tall and weighing 132 lbs, Su's frame provedideal for the sport, and his rapid rise was hardly a surprise.
Growing up with snowboarder parents who both rode regularly instilled an early love for the mountains. His childhood often meant racing through homework to maximise slope time despite limited gear availability in his cold hometown.
Su's international breakthrough came in 2019, but his defining moment arrived in 2021 when he became thefirst Chinese snowboarderto podium at a World Cup, winning big air at Steamboat. AtBeijing 2022, he won big air gold and slopestyle silver, instantly becoming a national hero.
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Source: International Business Times UK
