Snowboarding at the 2022 Winter Olympics – Men's halfpipe

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Men's halfpipe
at the XXIV Olympic Winter Games
Snowboarding pictogram.svg
Venue Genting Snow Park,
Zhangjiakou
Date9, 11 February
Competitors25 from 12 nations
Winning score96.00
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Ayumu Hirano Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Silver medal icon.svg Scotty James Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
Bronze medal icon.svg Jan Scherrer Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland
  2018
2026  

The men's halfpipe competition in snowboarding at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics was held on 9 February (qualification) and 11 February (final), at the Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou. [1] Ayumu Hirano of Japan, the 2014 and 2018 silver medalist, finally won a gold Olympic medal. Scotty James of Australia improved from the 2018 bronze to the 2022 silver. Jan Scherrer of Switzerland won the bronze, his first Olympic medal.

The field also included the defending champion, Shaun White, who won this event in 2006, 2010, and 2018. This was White's last Olympics as he announced his upcoming retirement before the games began. White qualified to the finals where he finished fourth, repeating his 2014 performance.

At the 2021–22 FIS Snowboard World Cup, only three halfpipe events were held before the Olympics. Ayumu Hirano was leading the ranking, followed by Ruka Hirano and Scherrer. Yūto Totsuka was the 2021 world champion, with James and Scherrer being the silver and bronze medalists, respectively. Totsuka was also the 2019 X-Games winner in super-pipe, ahead of James and Ruka Hirano.

Qualification

A total of 25 snowboarders qualified to compete at the games. For an athlete to compete they must have a minimum of 50.00 FIS points on the FIS Points List on January 17, 2022 and a top 30 finish in a World Cup event or at the FIS Snowboard World Championships 2021. A country could enter a maximum of four athletes into the event. [2]

Results

Qualification

Q — Qualified for the Final

The top 12 athletes in the qualifiers move on to the medal round.

RankBibOrderNameCountryRun 1Run 2BestNotes
131 Ayumu Hirano Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 87.2593.2593.25Q
224 Scotty James Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 88.2591.2591.25Q
352 Ruka Hirano Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 80.7587.0087.00Q
4923 Shaun White Flag of the United States.svg  United States 24.2586.2586.25Q
5149 Valentino Guseli Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 31.7585.7585.75Q
613 Yūto Totsuka Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 84.5012.0084.50Q
7820 Taylor Gold Flag of the United States.svg  United States 81.2583.5083.50Q
845 Jan Scherrer Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 73.5079.2579.25Q
91311 Kaishu Hirano Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 74.7577.2577.25Q
10616 André Höflich Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 75.0017.7575.00Q
11719 Patrick Burgener Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 70.7573.0073.00Q
121125 Chase Josey Flag of the United States.svg  United States 15.7569.5069.50Q
131915 Louie Vito Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 60.253.2560.25
14217 Gu Ao Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 50.2558.5058.50
151617 Seamus O'Connor Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 57.0010.2557.00
162218 Fan Xiaobing Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 39.0044.0044.00
171214 Lucas Foster Flag of the United States.svg  United States 42.0021.5042.00
18258 Lee Chae-un Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 26.0035.0035.00
192321 Lorenzo Gennero Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 34.752.0034.75
201713 Liam Tourki Flag of France.svg  France 25.5011.5025.50
211522 Wang Ziyang Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 20.257.5020.25
221810 Tit Štante Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 18.255.7518.25
232012 Liam Gill Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 16.7515.5016.75
241024 David Hablützel Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 15.5014.0015.50
25246 Gao Hongbo Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 15.00DNS15.00

Final

RankBibOrderNameCountryRun 1Run 2Run 3BestNotes
Gold medal icon.svg312 Ayumu Hirano Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 33.7591.7596.0096.00
Silver medal icon.svg211 Scotty James Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 16.5092.5047.7592.50
Bronze medal icon.svg45 Jan Scherrer Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 70.5087.257.5087.25
499 Shaun White Flag of the United States.svg  United States 72.0085.0014.7585.00
586 Taylor Gold Flag of the United States.svg  United States 81.7525.0020.0081.75
6148 Valentino Guseli Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 75.7579.7579.7579.75
7111 Chase Josey Flag of the United States.svg  United States 62.5023.0079.5079.50
863 André Höflich Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 13.2576.0050.0076.00
9134 Kaishu Hirano Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 75.5037.7515.7575.50
1017 Yūto Totsuka Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 62.0069.7526.5069.75
1172 Patrick Burgener Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 54.505.7569.5069.50
12510 Ruka Hirano Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 13.0011.759.2513.00

Controversy

During Ayumu Hirano's second finals run, he completed a "spectacular frontside triple cork to become the first person ever to land the trick at an Olympics." [3] NBC commentator Todd Richards, a former snowboarder, immediately announced that "no one will touch that run tonight... that is going to be a 98." [4] He would go on to add, "He destroyed this halfpipe. That run was something that we may never see again from anyone else. Unbelievable. Level raised. By such a large margin. They are going to give him a score that is going to be just out of this world." [4] However, judges scored the run a 91.75, leaving him in second behind Scotty James. [5] [6]

Immediately on-air, NBC's Richards blasted the judges, proclaiming “Ahhh what? What? Is there a mistake? There’s no way, there is no way. A 91.75? ...as far as I’m concerned, the judges just grenaded all their credibility." He went on to add, "It's unbelievable that this is even happening. It's a travesty to be completely honest with you. I am irate right now. Someone call the authorities, there’s been a robbery." [7] [8] People online began to dub this controversy "triple-gate". [9] X games silver medalist Nikko Landeros tweeted that Hirano "just got robbed... this should never happen in the Olympics... what a disgrace." [10] Ultimately, Hirano secured the gold medal on his third run by scoring a 96.00 by performing a triple cork and a 1440. [11]

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References

  1. "Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Competition Schedule Version 9" (PDF). New.inews.gtimg.com. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  2. "Qualification System for XXIV Olympic Winter Games, Beijing 2022 International Ski Federation Snowboard" (PDF). Fis-ski.com. International Ski Federation (FIS). 19 October 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  3. Matthey, James (2022-02-11). "'Should be arrested': Olympic scandal erupts". news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  4. 1 2 Davis, Scott. "Japanese snowboarder needed second near-perfect run to win gold after controversial score left many stunned". Insider. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  5. "Men's Snowboard Halfpipe Final Results" (PDF). Olympics.
  6. "NBC's Todd Richards torches halfpipe judges for controversial Ayumu Hirano score". nz.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  7. Matthey, James (2022-02-11). "'Should be arrested': Olympic scandal erupts". news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  8. "NBC's Todd Richards torches halfpipe judges for controversial Ayumu Hirano score". nz.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  9. "'I am irate right now' | Olympic snowboarding final mired in controversy following judges' scoring". 11Alive.com. February 10, 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  10. "'Just grenaded their credibility': Olympic judges saved after snub of Ayunu Hirano's 'best ever run'". Fox Sports. 2022-02-11. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  11. Fontela, Jonah (10 February 2022). "Medals update: Japan's Hirano Ayumu ushers in triple-cork era with Olympic halfpipe gold". Olympics .