*This content was translated by AI.
Ayumu Hirano (27), Japan's snowboard men's halfpipe gold medalist at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, has miraculously returned to the snowboard after overcoming a fatal fracture. He announced his participation in the Olympics just 17 days after suffering severe fractures in several parts of his body.
According to Japanese media Sports Hochi reported on the 4th, Hirano threw his hat into the 2026 Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, which will open on the 6th through the Japanese Ski Federation. "I believe in what I have accumulated so far, and I just want to run like myself," he said, showing a detached appearance that shook off the trauma of injury.
According to the report, Hirano was injured during the first period of the final of the fifth snowboarding World Cup in Switzerland on January 17. He lost his balance in the process of landing while using his own proprietary and ultra-high-level technology and crashed as it was.
At that time, Hirano had not been able to wake up for a while after hitting hard on the snow face in several places, including his right wrist, face, and lower body. After returning to Japan, the result of the detailed examination was hopeless. Fractures and bruises were diagnosed throughout the body. It was a 'season out' injury that came just three weeks before the opening of the Olympics.
However, Hirano's commitment to the Olympics was so strong. With amazing resilience beyond imagination, he focused on rehabilitation and was able to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
In fact, Hirano is the unrivaled "Snowboard" No. 1 in Japan, which has been evaluated as "Shindong." Hirano, who started at the 2014 Sochi Olympics at the age of 15, won two consecutive silver medals until the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. Later, he won his first Olympic gold medal in Beijing 2022 and tried to win his second consecutive gold medal in 2026. At the same time, it was only one step away from the milestone of four consecutive Olympic medals.
If Hirano wins the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, he will become the second player in the history of Japanese winter sports to win his second consecutive individual event, following Yuzuru Hanyu (32) of men's figure skating. And he could become the first Japanese athlete to reach the Olympic podium for the fourth consecutive time.
He was already at the peak of three Olympics, but his attitude toward this tournament is desperate. Hirano said, "I've always been a challenger, so it's not much different from the past Olympics," adding, "It's always been a time where I've faced tasks, and I want to put all my energy into the finals."
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*This content was translated by AI.
