Milano Cortina 2026: Kokomo Murase Comes Out on Top After Overcoming Obstacles, Aiming for Greater Heights in Competition

By Azusa Nakazono / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

7:00 JST, February 12, 2026

Kokomo Murase delivered a stunning performance on the Olympic stage, bringing Japan its first Olympic gold in a women’s snowboard event on Monday.

The 21-year-old once struggled with the pressure of being an Olympic medalist and with injuries, but overcame the obstacles with the help of her family and won the women’s snowboard big air at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

In the big air event, riders compete based on the combined score of their two best runs out of three. On Monday, Murase clapped her hands and started her third and final run in provisional third place. She flawlessly executed a triple cork 1440 — a trick requiring three flips and four rotations — to secure a comeback victory and the gold medal. After landing, Murase raised her right hand high, then sat down and clutched her head as she was overcome with emotion.

Other athletes rushed to Murase to congratulate her. “I’m so happy, it feels like I’m dreaming,” Murase said with a smile.

Murase competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics when she was in the second year of high school and took bronze by executing a high-level trick. At 17 years and 3 months, Murase became the youngest Japanese woman to earn a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics.

After Beijing, she struggled with her image as a medalist. Murase said she felt intense pressure from people’s belief that she is amazing because she is a medalist. She also was haunted by the thought that she must not disappoint those who support her.

As a result, Murase earned a podium only once — finishing third — in four World Cup big air events in the 2022-23 season. In January 2023, she broke her left ankle in a landing at the X Games.

She became unable to enjoy snowboarding, something she loved so much. She also was losing sight of her goals and was unsure about what she should do. Her friends at school seemed dazzling to her as they were filled with hope for the future and had decided their paths after graduation.

But she was saved by the words of her family. During a two-month period when she cooped herself up at her family home in Gifu, they often told her she should do what she enjoys and that she will be able to do whatever she sets her heart on.

Murase said this difficult time was not a waste. By thoroughly confronting herself, she remembered the feeling she had when she started the sport: She loves snowboarding and will not ride for anyone but herself.

Murase entered the 2023-24 season with renewed confidence. She took first place in two World Cup big air events. She also won a big air competition at the X Games.

In March last year, she launched her own YouTube channel where she posts about world championships, explains her tricks and introduces her daily life.

On Nov. 26, she released a video on the channel showing her becoming the first female snowboarder to successfully execute a backside 1620 — a trick involving getting high into the air and doing 4.5 horizontal rotations. It drew praise and astonishment from around the world. Murase now hopes to become “the face of snowboarding.”

Having overcome many obstacles to win gold at the Olympics, she now has an even bigger target. “My next goal is to win another gold,” said Murase, who is already focused on the women’s slopestyle final to be held Tuesday.