The first major controversy of the 2026 Winter Olympics arrived on the Games’ opening day, with Team USA narrowly missing out on its first medal.
Seventeen-year-old Ollie Martin finished fourth in the men’s snowboard big air final at Livigno Snow Park, just off the podium after a late score change pushed him out of medal position. Martin had been sitting in the top three until China’s Su Yiming, the defending Olympic champion, delivered a final run that judges scored high enough to earn him the bronze medal.
The result immediately sparked debate. Su appeared to touch the ground with both hands on his landing, but judges still rewarded the difficulty and size of the trick — a switch backside 1900 melon — allowing him to leapfrog Martin in the standings.
The final itself drew mixed reactions, with NBC analyst Todd Richards overheard on a hot mic calling the competition “boring,” a sentiment shared by many who felt the qualifying rounds earlier in the week were more exciting. In an event designed to showcase the biggest and boldest tricks, the final turned into a more conservative display.
Martin declined to speak with reporters afterward, with U.S. Ski and Snowboard confirming he was disappointed with the outcome. His mother, Anne Martin, spoke briefly on his behalf but avoided commenting on Su’s final score.
Instead, she emphasized her son’s impressive Olympic debut. Martin was the only American among four U.S. slopestyle and big air riders to advance to the final. He qualified ninth and entered his final run sitting in 10th place before landing a frontside double 1800 mute that briefly vaulted him into second.
“I was surprised he was still there for so long,” Anne said. “I have an incredible amount of faith in Ollie. He knows what he’s doing. He’s very smart about it.”
Anne added that simply making the Olympic team was a major achievement, especially considering Martin broke his right arm just two weeks ago while training for the X Games in Aspen, Colorado. He underwent surgery the following day and still managed to travel to Italy in time for the Games.
“I think he’s doing great,” she said.
Martin is known for being quiet and uncomfortable in the spotlight, something his mother acknowledged after he chose not to address the media.
“He’s just quiet,” she said.
Japan’s Kira Kimura won gold in the event, while compatriot Ryoma Kimata claimed silver. Martin will have another chance to make his Olympic mark in the men’s slopestyle competition, with qualifying set to begin Monday, Feb. 16.
Despite missing the podium, Martin’s rise in the sport has been rapid. He won silver in big air at the 2024 Youth Winter Games in Gangwon, South Korea, and captured bronze medals in both big air and slopestyle at last year’s world championships in Switzerland. Earlier this season, he finished third in big air at a World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Martin is also known for traveling with a small snowboarding figure he uses to visualize tricks — a habit that has helped him develop new ideas on jumps and rails.
“My mom made me bring it,” he said before the Games. “Honestly, that toy was really helpful for me. I could use it to visualize and come up with some tricks.”
From Olympic qualification to the finals and a near-medal finish, Martin’s trajectory continues to point upward — even if this one ended just shy of the podium.