China's snowboarding star Su Yiming has hailed a "perfect day" after marking his 22nd birthday with a stunning gold medal triumph at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games on Wednesday.
Team China had waited 11 competition days for its first taste of golden glory at the Games, which kicked off on Feb 6, but that drought ended on Wednesday after Su soared to a superb victory in the final of the men's snowboard slopestyle in the Italian Alpine town of Livigno.
The birthday boy delivered a near-flawless run to score an unsurmountable 82.41 points, ranking him ahead of Japan's Taiga Hasegawa and Jake Canter of the United States.
Sitting down with a China Central Television (CCTV) reporter after his big win, Su said that it was "absolutely" the perfect day, and the perfect way to celebrate his birthday.
"For me, this represents a perfect culmination of my Olympic journey, particularly here at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games, my second appearance on this stage," he said.
Su announced himself to the world as a fearless teenager at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where he seized gold in the big air and silver in the slopestyle events on home soil, becoming an overnight icon of Chinese snowboarding.
But with those victories comes extra scrutiny and greater expectations, and Su revealed how he handled the increased pressure of being the reigning Olympic champion to secure victory once more.
"I think only I can truly feel it. Carrying the title of defending champion and everyone's expectations, you feel there's no room for mistakes. You have to deliver. But in competitive sports, if you have that mindset, it's hard to perform at your best. I just focused on enjoying the competition. Any tension or pressure is not helpful. I didn't let any outside distractions enter my mind, but only concentrated on executing all seven tricks in my run perfectly," he said.
Su also reflected on the past four years since his success in Beijing and the challenges that come with fame at such a young age.
"As a 17 or 18-year-old, it's hard to fully appreciate the honor of winning Olympic gold at that age. There could be even a sense of emptiness, a sudden loss of motivation to chase our dreams. But I think it's something everyone must go through. Having experienced those ups and downs at that age, I no longer feel empty when I wake up each day," he said.
When asked how he was able to regain his motivation, Su explained he had to dig deep.
"It's the passion in my heart. I've always been pursuing that passion. I still love snowboarding just as much as before. I just needed to overcome various difficulties and return to the competition," he said.
Su -- who previously gained global fame for becoming the first snowboarder in the world to successfully complete and land a challenging 1980-degree aerial spinal -- stressed how he has always sought to represent his country on the global stage.
"My biggest dream has always been to fight for my country. The greatest responsibility on the Olympic stage is not to compete for myself, but for our motherland. My country has always strongly supported me, which made my achievements possible. So I must give my all on the field, win gold, and bring honor to my country in return," he said.
Su also spoke about how he hopes his success story can inspire other youths to fulfill their promise and achieve their dreams in life.
"I grew up watching my idols, and now I feel an even greater responsibility. I hope to set an example and inspire more young people, or anyone with their own dreams and goals, to work hard and give their best in doing what they love." ," he said.
There was double delight for Chinese fans on Wednesday as shortly after Su's win, China's Xu Mengtao triumphed in the women's freestyle skiing aerials. The five-time Olympian clinched China's second gold of the Games and made history by becoming the first freestyle skier to claim consecutive Olympic aerials gold medals.
Su said he hopes that China's snowboarding team will continue to grow, driven by the past successes, and that a new generation will emerge who can compete at the top level.
"In terms of competitive sports and cultural heritage, there will always be young people taking up the baton and carrying on the sport. The biggest difference between the [2026] Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and the [2022] Beijing Winter Olympics is that this time, I have many teammates by my side. We are fighting for our country together and bringing glory to the nation," he said.
Birthday boy Su Yiming hails "perfect day" after gold medal triumph
