The air in Livigno is thin, but the tension is thick. As the sun rose over the Italian Alps on February 12, 2026, the narrative for the Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics shifted from speculation to a singular, undeniable reality: this is Scotty James’ title to lose.
In a display of technical mastery and veteran composure, the 31-year-old Australian superstar has not just qualified for the finals; he has sent a shockwave through the field. With a towering score of 94.00 in his opening run, James has positioned himself as the overwhelming favorite to capture the one accolade that has eluded him: the Olympic Gold Medal.
The “North Star” Alignment
For James, the journey to Milan-Cortina has been defined by a singular focus. He calls the gold medal his “North Star,” a celestial navigation point guiding him through four years of grueling training, injury management, and the relentless evolution of snowboard progression.
His Olympic resume is already the stuff of legends—a bronze in PyeongChang (2018) and a silver in Beijing (2022). But the gradient of the podium has always pointed upward. Now competing in his fifth Winter Games, the Victorian native is riding with a level of precision that suggests he isn’t just happy to be here; he is here to complete the set.
“I was really happy,” James told reporters after the qualifiers. “I wanted to come out and put my best foot forward to try and qualify first. I feel like being in that position in the finals is a really good place to be.”
That “good place” is the top of the leaderboard, looking down at a field of hungry competitors who now know exactly how high the bar has been set.
Breaking Down the 94.00 Run
In the world of competitive halfpipe, strategy is often a game of cat and mouse. Riders usually hold back their biggest tricks for the finals. James, however, chose a “shock and awe” tactic.
Dropping into the pristine Livigno pipe, James unleashed a run that was both technically complex and stylistically flawless. The centerpiece was the switch backside double cork 1440, a maneuver he debuted in competition only last month in Switzerland. To execute such a high-consequence trick in qualifiers signals a terrifying confidence to his rivals.
“I’ve pushed it a little bit more in qualies than I usually would with the switchback 14,” James admitted. “I was really happy to execute it all and put it together.”
While he bailed on his second run after dragging a hand, it was irrelevant. The statement had been made. The 94.00 stood untouched, a fortress that the Japanese contingent could not breach.
The Japanese Contingent and the “Insane” Final Ahead
While James sits in pole position, the path to Gold on Friday is paved with peril. The Japanese team, renowned for their amplitude and technical rotation, remains the primary threat.
Yuto Totsuka, a long-time rival of James, secured the second spot with a clean 91.25. Following him was Ryusei Yamada with a 90.25. Perhaps most dangerously, the reigning Olympic champion, Ayumu Hirano, sits in seventh place with an 85.50. Hirano, known for his triple corks, likely has plenty of gas left in the tank, making the upcoming 12-man final a potential powder keg of progression.
James is acutely aware of the sharks circling in the water. “I think from a competitive standpoint, halfpipe riding in the Olympics is the most competitive it’s ever been,” James noted. “I think the top six can win, so I don’t think that’s been the case before.”
The Next Gen: Guseli’s Hype
Backing up James is his younger compatriot, 20-year-old Valentino Guseli. The curly-haired phenom qualified in sixth place, ensuring a dual Australian assault on the podium. Guseli, who grew up idolizing James, didn’t mince words about what fans can expect for the Saturday showdown (AEDT).
“That quallies was like a finals, and so finals is just going to be insane—it’s going to be the biggest show ever,” Guseli beamed. “Scotty’s got some stuff that’s pretty insane and pretty hard to beat.”
The dynamic between the veteran James and the firecracker Guseli adds a layer of depth to the Australian story. One is fighting for a legacy; the other is fighting to start one.
Chasing History: The Greatest Australian Winter Olympian?
The stakes for Friday’s final extend beyond just the color of the medal. A victory would etch Scotty James’ name into the history books as Australia’s most decorated Winter Olympian.
Currently, freestyle skier Dale Begg-Smith and snowboarder Torah Bright share the upper echelon of Aussie winter lore, each possessing a gold and a silver. A gold for James would eclipse them both, completing a trifecta of Bronze, Silver, and Gold across three different decades.
However, the shadow of heartbreak still lingers over the Australian team. Earlier in the day, mogul skiing favorite Jakara Anthony stumbled in her final, a stark reminder that in winter sports, disaster is only an edge-catch away.
“After watching Jakara… nothing is assured,” James reflected. It was a somber acknowledgement that no matter how good the qualifier, the slate is wiped clean in the finals.
The Verdict
As the lights prepare to shine on the Livigno halfpipe for the final showdown, the script is written perfectly for a climax. We have the aging warrior with the perfect bag of tricks, the defending champion lurking in the middle of the pack, and a field of young guns ready to risk it all.
But for now, the halfpipe belongs to Scotty James. He has found his rhythm, he has landed his heavy hitters, and his North Star is shining brighter than ever.
The Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe Final takes place Friday (Saturday 05:30 AEDT). Don’t blink.