Ayumu Hirano, a leading figure in snowboarding, is setting his sights on the 2030 Winter Olympics and beyond after his streak of podium finishes at the Games came to an end.
According to reports, Hirano finished only seventh at the Winter Olympics held in northern Italy in February. The result closed out a period in which he had consistently featured among the front-runners at previous Games.
Hirano had previously won silver medals at the 2014 and 2018 Olympics before reaching the top of the podium for the first time at the Winter Games four years ago. The seventh-place finish marked the first time in several consecutive Games that he was absent from the medal group.
Even so, his stated ambition to compete at the 2030 Olympics shows the snowboarder retains his motivation for top-level competition and has no intention of stepping away from major international events.
