- Title: China’s Su proud to take big air bronze under pressure
- Date: 10th February 2026
- Summary: LIVIGNO, ITALY (FEBRUARY 10, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHINESE SNOWBOARDER AND BRONZE MEDALLIST OF MEN’S SNOWBOARD BIG AIR, SU YIMING, SAYING ABOUT HIS COACH: “We are having such a rare relationship. Sometimes it's a coach-student (relationship), and then sometimes we are like best best friends. We can talk about everything, and then sometimes he's like my fath
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- Keywords: China Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics Su Yiming Winter Olympics snowboard snowboard big air
- Location: LIVIGNO, ITALY
- City: LIVIGNO, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Europe,Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA008436910022026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming said on Tuesday (February 10) that he’s proud to overcome huge pressure after clinching China’s first medal at Milano Cortina 2026.
The 21-year-old defending champion ended up with bronze medal in the mountain town of Livigno on Saturday (February 7) night after falling on his hands in the second round of Men’s Big Air snowboarding final which hurt his chances of retaining the title.
Su recalled facing unprecedented pressure in both the qualification and the final.
"That’s the level of pressure I have never felt or experienced before. Coming back here as a second Olympic Games, as a defending champion, it was definitely not an easy one,” Su told Reuters in an interview.
“A lot of things just came to my mind. I tried to not think too much or tried to control my mind even like before the qualis, before the finals, but there's just something that keeps staying there. So It's just really hard. That's why I'm saying I'm really proud and really happy to at least end up on the podium,” said Su.
A photo of Su hugging Japanese gold medallist Kira Kimura on the podium after the competition touched many hearts across social media in China and Japan.
"We've been seeing each other more than our family. Like we always travel to the same place for doing a competition, and we always train together,” said Su.
"So to share the podium with Kira (Kimura) and Ryoma (Kimata) is definitely a pretty special thing to me. And then we all tried our best for our country, and then we all showed the snowboarding love to everybody. I think that's something bigger than the result. So watching him (Kira Kimura) earn the gold medal was pretty special. So I'm really proud of him from the bottom of my heart.”
Su also spoke of his special, father-son–like relationship with his Japanese coach who he has know since a child.
“Sometimes we are like best friends. We can talk about everything, and then sometimes he's like my father, teaching me how to deal with things in life and how to be a better person. So he means everything to me, and I'm just really lucky to have him,” said Su who put the medal on his coach’s neck after walking off the podium.
"He's my one and only coach. I never had a coach before, and I don't think I'm going to have anybody else in the future,” he added.
Preparing for the next event of men's snowboarding slopestyle which is scheduled on February 16, Su said he felt less weight on his shoulders.
“I didn't win the contest slopestyle last time in Beijing, so I'm still a challenger, I'm challenging myself, also challenging others. I'm just trying to land my run. That's all what I am thinking now.”
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