
Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Contents
- Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- Venue, Competitors’ Structure, and Prize Pool Overview for Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- Participating Athletes in Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Qualification Overview
- Structure and Competition Format of Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- Favorites in Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Betting Options, and Where to Watch
- Pros and Cons of Favorites in Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- FAQs
Recomended bookmakers
Snowboarding is one of the mixed-gender individual sport disciplines contested under the XXV Winter Olympic Games (the 25th edition of the highest-ranked international multi-winter sport event), also known as Milano Cortina 2026.
Snowboarding events at Milano Cortina 2026 take place from February 5 to February 18, 2026, in the mountain town of Livigno, Italy.
The most prestigious international competition in snowboarding will be primarily organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which oversees the Olympic Games as a whole. The local organizing committee for the 2026 Games (Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee) manages planning and execution on the ground. Sport-specific competition rules and qualification systems are governed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
Venue, Competitors’ Structure, and Prize Pool Overview for Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The snowboarding competitions at the 2026 Winter Olympics are being held on two outdoor courses and terrain parks: Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park and Livigno Snow Park.
A total of 238 snowboarders, also known as riders, are slated to compete at Milano Cortina 2026: 119 men and 119 women across all snowboarding events.
The Olympics themselves don’t award prize money to athletes for medaling in individual sports like snowboarding. Unlike the World Cup, where FIS sets a prize purse, or professional tour events, where cash payouts are given, Olympic medals are prestigious honors, but athletes don’t receive a prize pool from the IOC for winning them. Most national teams and some countries may give their own financial bonuses to medalists, but these amounts vary by country and are not set by the Olympics or FIS.
Participating Athletes in Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Qualification Overview
The participating snowboarders are the best snowboarders from around the world, selected by their countries. Each nation sends its top-performing athletes in different snowboarding events. There’s no fixed public list yet because the final Olympic lineup isn’t confirmed until shortly before the Games start. Teams finalize their squads after the qualification period ends.
Snowboarders qualify by earning strong results in international competitions before the Olympics. In simple terms:
- Snowboarders compete in World Cup events and World Championships
- Good results earn ranking points
- Countries use these points to secure Olympic spots
- National teams then choose which snowboarders fill those spots
So it works like this: Perform well internationally → earn points → your country gets places → best riders are selected.
Structure and Competition Format of Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Snowboarding at the Olympics isn’t one single tournament — it’s made up of multiple separate events, each with its own mini-competition. Across all snowboarding disciplines, the structure usually looks like this:
Main stages (for most events):
- Qualification round
February 5–12, 2026
Riders perform runs to qualify for the next stage. - Semifinals (if required)
February 8–15, 2026
The top riders from the qualification move forward. - Finals/medal rounds
February 10–18, 2026
The best riders compete for Olympic medals.
Exact dates vary by discipline, but all snowboarding competitions take place within the Olympic window.
Snowboarding formats depend on the discipline, but they follow two main styles:
- Judged events (halfpipe, slopestyle, big air)
Format:
- Snowboarders perform 2–3 runs
- Only the best score counts
- Judges score difficulty, execution, and style
Elimination system:
- Qualification → finals
- Lowest scores are eliminated
- Highest score in the final wins 🥇
There’s no “best-of” opponent format — snowboarders compete against scores, not directly against another athlete.
- Race events (snowboard cross, parallel giant slalom)
Format:
- Riders race head-to-head
- First to cross the finish line advances
Elimination system:
- Heats (qualification)
- Quarterfinals
- Semifinals
- Final race for medals
This works like a knockout bracket: Lose once → you’re out and
win → advance to the next round.
Favorites in Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Betting Options, and Where to Watch
These snowboarders are widely seen as strong competitors in their events based on recent World Cups and World Championships results:
Halfpipe:
- Chloe Kim (USA) — multiple Olympic medalist, very consistent
- Ayumu Hirano (Japan) — Olympic champion, top scores internationally
Slopestyle / big air:
- Max Parrot (Canada) — dominant in slopestyle and big air
- Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (New Zealand) — top performer across jumps and park events
Snowboard cross:
- Charlotte Bankes (Great Britain) — strong and fast in SX races
- Regino Hernández (Spain) — experienced and competitive
Parallel giant slalom:
- Andreas Prommegger (Austria) — veteran powerhouse
- Julie Zogg (Switzerland) — consistent podium contender
Not all bookmakers treat winter sports the same. For snowboarding, bettors usually get the best experience from platforms that specialize in multi-sport coverage and niche markets:
International sportsbook platforms. These bookmakers usually offer:
- Olympic markets for all snowboarding disciplines
- Early odds for futures and medal races
- Live betting during snowboard cross and parallel races
Many comparison platforms list the best betting site options based on coverage depth, odds quality, and event availability.
Winter sports-focused bookmakers. Some sportsbooks are known for strong coverage of alpine and freestyle sports. These tend to provide:
- More snowboarding-specific markets
- Better head-to-head matchups
- Discipline-based betting options (halfpipe, big air, slopestyle, etc.)
Live betting platforms. Snowboard cross and parallel slalom events work well for in-play betting. Platforms with:
- Fast live odds updates
- Low delay streams
- Heat-by-heat betting options
are preferred by experienced bettors.
Snowboarding offers both performance-based and race-based betting formats, depending on the discipline.
- Outright winner (gold medal market). This is the most popular option. You predict which snowboarder will win gold in a specific discipline.
- Podium finish (top-3). Instead of picking only the winner, this market allows you to bet on any rider finishing in the medal positions.
- Head-to-head matchups. You choose which of the two snowboarders will finish higher.
- Heat winner. Used in race-based disciplines, Great for live betting.
- Placement markets (top-5 / top-10).
The Winter Olympics are shown by official broadcasters in each country. For example:
- USA: Typically, NBC and NBC Sports channels
- UK: Usually BBC
- Canada: CBC / Sportsnet
- Australia: Nine Network
Broadcast rights vary by country, but the Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS) produces the coverage that all official broadcasters air.
You can often watch snowboarding events live or on demand through:
- The official Olympic Channel and Olympics website — free clips and some live streams
- Official broadcaster apps (e.g., NBC Sports app, BBC iPlayer, CBC Gem)
- YouTube Olympic highlights channels for event summaries
Pros and Cons of Favorites in Snowboarding at the 2026 Winter Olympics
| Discipline | Top Favorite | Pros (Strengths) | Cons (Challenges) |
| Halfpipe | Ayumu Hirano (Japan) | Multiple Olympic medals; high-difficulty tricks; consistent top scores at major events | Can be affected by small execution mistakes; weather conditions (wind) can impact performance |
| Slopestyle | Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (NZL) | Creative, technical trick selection; strong recent World Cup results; experience under pressure | Risk of falls on big modules; slopestyle courses vary and can disrupt rhythm |
| Big air | Max Parrot (Canada) | Exceptional amplitude and rotation; very high scoring potential; strong competitive history | High injury risk with very large tricks; one mistake run can significantly drop ranking |
| Snowboard cross | Charlotte Bankes (GBR) | Strong starts and race control; good adaptability to varied courses; strategic racing experience | Contact crashes are common in heats; unpredictable elimination rounds |
| Parallel giant slalom | Andreas Prommegger (AUT) | Deep experience and refined technique; excellent carving skill; usually consistent times | Extremely narrow margins—one small error is costly; pressure from emerging younger competitors |




