- Scotty James enters Milano Cortina 2026 as reigning world champion and five-time consecutive X Games winner.
- James seeks the one Olympic title missing from his resume: men’s snowboard halfpipe gold.
- Main rivals include reigning Olympic champion Hirano Ayumu, rising World Cup leader Totsuka Yuto and young contenders Valentino Guseli and Alessandro Barbieri.
H2: Scotty James targets the only title missing
Scotty James arrives at Milano Cortina 2026 in top form. The Australian, the reigning world champion, added a fifth consecutive X Games halfpipe title in January 2026, bringing his X Games haul to eight. He also holds Olympic bronze from PyeongChang 2018 and silver from Beijing 2022 — but Olympic gold has so far eluded him.
James has said the missing gold is the “elephant in the room” for his career, and momentum and experience put him among the favourites. Judges and fans will watch whether he brings new tricks or leans on consistency under pressure.
H3: Key rivals who could spoil the party
Hirano Ayumu — the defending Olympic champion — is a major challenger despite arriving at the Games after an injury layoff. Japan named him to the team, and if healthy, his Olympic pedigree makes him a serious threat.
Totsuka Yuto has led the World Cup standings this season and will be quietly confident he can convert that form into a first Olympic medal. Other names to watch include Hirano Ruka (Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic champion), Australia’s young Valentino Guseli (20) and American rookie Alessandro Barbieri (17), all of whom can upset expectations on any given day.
H3: Event schedule (CET, UTC+1)
11 February
- 19:30 – Qualifying Run 1
- 20:30 – Qualifying Run 2
13 February
- 19:30 – Final Run 1
- 20:00 – Final Run 2
- 20:30 – Final Run 3
H3: How to watch live
Broadcast rights vary by territory. Major carriers and streamers carrying Milano Cortina 2026 action include:
- Australia: Nine
- Japan: Japan Consortium (NHK, JBA, Fuji TV, Nippon TV, TBS, TV Asahi, TV Tokyo)
- United States: NBC Olympics, Peacock
- United Kingdom: Discovery+ (Warner Bros Discovery), BBC Sport
- Pan-Europe: Warner Bros Discovery (Eurosport, HBO Max), national EBU broadcasters
In selected regions, the Olympic Channel on Olympics.com may stream events subject to rights. Find your local broadcaster at go.olympics.com/watch-OG.
H4: Follow the action and connects
Milano Cortina 2026 maintains social channels for live highlights and updates:
- X (Twitter): https://x.com/milanocortina26
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-3ef0mTN_RDliSRsrIEbHg
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milanocortina2026
H5: What to expect
Expect high-risk runs and technical innovation. If James lands his top run under Olympic pressure, he could secure the one major title missing from a career already stacked with global wins. But the halfpipe has a history of surprises — and Milano Cortina may produce another.
Image Referance: https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/news/snowboard-men-halfpipe-milano-cortina-2026-full-schedule-watch-live