Monster Energy Congratulates Its Team of Snow Sports Athletes on History-Making Performances at 2026 Winter Games in Italy

Leading the charge, 21-year-old Kokomo Murase from Gifu, Japan, claimed Gold in the Women's Snowboard Big Air event. Also claiming Gold, 25-year-old Norwegian Birk Ruud won the Men's Freeski Slopestyle discipline. South Korea's 17-year-old Gaon Choi earned Gold in Women's Snowboard Halfpipe, making history as the youngest snowboarder to win Olympic Gold, while 24-year-old Megan Oldham took Gold in Women's Freeski Big Air.

Team riders earning Silver medals include New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synnott in both Women's Snowboard Big Air and Women's Snowboard Slopestyle, becoming the first snowboarder in history to claim five Olympic medals (1 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze). Also picking up Silver medals in Italy: Team USA's Alex Hall (Men's Freeski Slopestyle) and Chloe Kim (Women's Snowboard Halfpipe), as well as Japan's Taiga Hasegawa (Men's Snowboard Slopestyle).

Five riders brought home Bronze medals: Canada's Oldham (Women's Freeski Slopestyle), Japan's Murase (Women's Snowboard Slopestyle), New Zealand's Luca Harrington (Men's Freeski Slopestyle), Canada's Brendan Mackay (Men's Freeski Halfpipe), and Great Britain's Zoe Atkin from Park City, Utah (Women's Freeski Halfpipe).

"We are proud of our athletes for representing winter action sports at the highest level at the 2026 Winter Games. Congratulations to our first-time medalists and our repeat medal winners in this global showcase of winter sports experienced by millions of fans around the world," said Mitch Covington, Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing at Monster Energy.

From February 4–22, the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games featured more than 2,870 athletes from 92 nations competing for medals in eight sports. Winter action sports featured prominently with snowboard and freeski competitions across Slopestyle, Big Air, and Halfpipe disciplines for men and women. The event sold a record-setting 1.3 million tickets and was viewed by 24.1 million viewers across NBC properties in the United States.

Here are competition highlights for Team Monster Energy as they unfolded at the 2026 Winter Olympics:

The Monster Energy team's medal run started in the Women's Freeski Slopestyle final, where Megan Oldham showed true grit and determination. After suffering a heavy slam on Run 2, Oldham clinched the Bronze medal on her final attempt. Technical rail tricks and back-to-back double cork 1260s and a 900 tail grab in the jumps earned the Canadian 76.46 points and third place.

The team claimed the first win of the event in Women's Snowboard Big Air with Kokomo Murase claiming Gold. In a heated showdown against teammate, 24-year-old Zoi Sadowski-Synnott from Wānaka, New Zealand, Murase edged ahead by landing a backside triple cork 1440 and frontside triple cork 1440 for 179.00 points and her first career Olympic Gold. Sadowski-Synnott took Silver on the strength of a switch backside 1260 Weddle grab for a total score of 172.25 points.

The team swept the entire podium in the Men's Freeski Slopestyle final at Livigno Snow Park. Leading the sweep, Birk Ruud from Oslo, Norway, secured the Gold medal with a perfect run featuring a switch right double cork 1800 and left nosebutter double 1620 for 86.28 points. This marks his second Olympic Gold medal after his Big Air win at Beijing 2022 for the two-time slopestyle world champion. In the Silver medal position, 27-year-old Alex Hall from Park City, Utah, impressed the judges with advanced rail tricks and difficult airs for 85.75 points. Completing the podium takeover, 22-year-old Luca Harrington from Wānaka, New Zealand, earned Bronze on his last attempt with a pull-back 1440 to 1260 air for 85.15 points.     

The highly anticipated Women's Snowboard Halfpipe event unfolded as a duel between "Queen of the Superpipe" Chloe Kim from Los Angeles, California, and her protégé, Gaon Choi from Seoul, South Korea. In a dramatic final, Choi took a hard fall on Run 1 that would have sidelined most athletes, but she rebounded on her final attempt: Technical tricks such as switch backside 900 Weddle, switch frontside 720 drunk driver, and backside 900 stalefish earned the young upstart 90.25 points and the Gold medal. Choi makes history as the first South Korean woman and youngest snowboarder to win Olympic snowboarding Gold. Two-time Gold medalist, 25-year-old Kim from Los Angeles, California, clinched Silver with moves like switch frontside double cork 1080 stalefish and frontside 900 tail grab on Run 1, scoring 88.00 points. 

The wins continued in Women's Freeski Big Air as Megan Oldham claimed her career-first Gold medal on the strength of a dominant performance. A perfect switch double cork 1260 safety grab (91.75 points) and double cork 1260 mute grab (89.00 points) raised Oldham above the rest of the field with a total score of 180.75 points for the win and her second medal at Milano Cortina 2026.

The team earned two medals in the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle event. In the Silver medal position, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott put down a backside 900 followed by back-to-back 1080 airs for 87.48 points. This marks Sadowski-Synnott's fifth Olympic medal in three starts at the Winter Games and sets a record for the most Olympic medals earned by a snowboard athlete. Following closely, Kokomo Murase earned the Bronze medal for Japan with a score of 85.50 points.

Another Japanese team rider clinched a medal in Men's Snowboard Slopestyle: 20-year-old Taiga Hasegawa from the town of Aichi took home Silver in his Olympic debut. Technical rail tricks and explosive airs like Cab 1440 and 1620 Weddle grab netted Hasegawa a score of 82.13 points for second place.

The Men's Freeski Halfpipe came down to final runs, as 28-year-old Brendan Mackay from Calgary, Canada, rose to the podium. After struggling to complete a full line, Mackay put together difficult tricks such as switch left alley-oop double flat 900 critical and back-to-back 1620 aerials for a score of 91.00 points and the Bronze medal.

Rounding out a strong performance for the team, the Women's Freeski Halfpipe competition on Sunday, February 22, concluded with 23-year-old Zoe Atkin winning a Bronze medal. Putting it all on the line in her last run, Atkin strung together tricks such as high-flying left 540 mute and switch right cork 900 for 92.50 points and her first Olympic medal.

Again, congratulations to our Monster Energy team of athletes on claiming 14 medals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics!

Visit www.monsterenergy.com for more information about our action sports athletes, and make sure to follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.

For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser. Download photos for editorial use here.

About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com.

CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: [email protected]
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