Olympic Champ Ayumu Hirano Makes Team After Weekend Crash

Olympic halfpipe champion Ayumu Hirano is heading to his fourth Winter Games, proving that not even a scary crash can keep a champion down.

The 27-year-old snowboarder was named to Team Japan for Milano Cortina this week, just days after suffering facial cuts and lower body pain in a heavy fall during a World Cup event in Laax, Switzerland. The crash forced him out of the competition midway through the final, but clearly didn't shake his Olympic dreams.

Hirano's selection carries extra weight beyond just making the team. He's chasing a piece of Winter Olympics history that no Japanese athlete has ever achieved.

If he medals in Milano Cortina, he'll become the first Japanese Winter Olympian to stand on the podium at four consecutive Games. He took gold in Beijing, silver in Pyeongchang, and silver in Sochi, building one of the most impressive Olympic résumés in snowboarding history.

Why This Inspires

There's something powerful about watching an athlete face a setback and immediately get back up. Hirano's quick recovery speaks to the mental toughness that separates good competitors from great ones.

His journey also reminds us that progress isn't always linear. Sometimes the path to history includes crashes, injuries, and moments of doubt, but those obstacles don't have to define the outcome.

Japan's ski association also announced that Yuto Totsuka and Ruka Hirano will join the halfpipe roster, giving the country a strong team as they aim for multiple medals. The trio will compete when the Winter Olympics kick off February 6 in Italy, running through February 22.

Hirano has weeks to heal and prepare, and if his track record tells us anything, he'll show up ready to make history.