Feature: Dream comes true for China's Olympic teen snowboarder

CHONGLI, Zhangjiakou, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Landing an incredible triple cork 1800 in the second run of the Olympic men's snowboard slopestyle final here on Monday, China's 17-year-old boarder Su Yiming punched the air as he reached the end of the course.

At the finish line, Su laid down in the snow with his hands covering his face as everyone around gave the Olympic debutant a standing ovation and cheered him to the echo.

Making a historic breakthrough, Su became the first Chinese male snowboarder to step on an Olympic podium, earning a silver medal with his highest score of 88.70 points.

It was the first time for the 1800 trick to appear at a Winter Olympics. Su was also the first rider ever to land an 1800 both ways in a FIS competition. On October 28, 2021, he landed a backside 1980 during a snowboard training camp in Saas-Fee, Switzerland.

"Dreams come true," a beaming Su told Xinhua at the mixed zone after the final which saw Canada's Max Parrot, the PyeongChang 2018 silver medalist, take gold with 90.96 points, also in his second run.

"Seven years ago when I heard that the 2022 Winter Olympics would be held in China, I had a dream of attending the Games and winning glory for my motherland," Su said.

"When I practised snowboarding, Parrot was one of my childhood idols," he added.

Fellow Canadian Mark McMorris, also one of Su's idols, took bronze in Monday's final with his best score of 88.53. He managed to complete his classic triple cork 1620 in the third run to leapfrog the U.S.'s Redmond Gerard, the defending champion, on the ranking table.

"Today, I competed with my two idols and stood on the podium with them. I'm too excited to express my feelings now," Su said.

Discussing his performance in his second run and the score he got, Su said, "As a snowbording lover, I do not care much about the score. Instead, I pay more attention to making more brilliant tricks. The happiness comes from that."

"I think most snowboarders share that view. We cheer for each other no matter who makes high-level tricks," he added.

"Parrot and McMorris also did a good job today and their performances inspired me to do better. After the first run, I placed fourth and I knew I had not shown my best," he noted.

Parrot told Xinhua at the mixed zone, "Su is a very strong rider. He landed 18 (triple cork 1800) today and made a very good run."

"A couple of years ago, we did not know him but he made his mark recently and he was a big challenge for me today. He is only 17 and I am 27 now," he added.

Starting snowboarding at age four with his father, Su shot to prominence at the 2019 FIS event in Phoenix PyeongChang, finishing first in big air.

Directed by renowned coach Yasuhiro Sato of Japan, Su became the first Chinese snowboarder to win a big air World Cup event in December 2021 in Steamboat, Colorado.

Having previously achieved more in big air than slopestyle, Su said he will now focus on the Olympic big air event in Beijing, the qualification of which will take place on February 14, with the final the following day.

"I will try to perform more difficult tricks in the big air competition," he said with determination.