<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Japanese riders dominated the Halfpipe World Cup in Aspen (USA) on Friday, with <strong>Mitsuki Ono </strong>topping the women’s field while<strong> Yuto Totuska </strong>won the men’s final to secure his third podium of the 2025/26 season. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a testament to the strength of the Japanese Halfpipe team, women’s runner-up <strong>Madeline Schaffrick</strong> (USA) was the only athlete in the women’s top six at Aspen’s Buttermilk resort on Friday who did not represent Japan. Men’s runner-up <strong>Shuichiro Shigeno</strong> (JPN) was one of four Japanese riders in the top six. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Friday’s results also marked the return of Japanese snowboarders to the men’s podium after the nation’s top Halfpipe athletes did not contest the Calgary World Cup, which ended a record 30-event streak of a Japanese rider within the men’s top-three that began in December 2018. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ono posted the highest score of Friday’s finals with 91.00 for her first attempt after stomping a run that began with a frontside 900 tailgrab, then a backside 540 mute, a frontside 720 truck driver, a cab 900 stalefish, then a switch backside 540 mute in her fifth and final hit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Schaffrick looked intent on overtaking Ono’s score in her second run but the U.S. rider’s first run score of 82.75 remained her best performance of the day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Japan’s <strong>Sena Tomita</strong> finished third on 80.75, followed by teammates <strong>Rise Kudo</strong>, <strong>Sorana Ohashi</strong> and <strong>Ruki Tomita</strong> in fourth, fifth and sixth place respectively.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last week’s Calgary winner <strong>Elizabeth Hosking </strong>(CAN) was seventh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ono’s win is the 21-year-old’s first World Cup victory in two years after she topped the Calgary World Cup in February 2024.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“It’s been two years, so I’m just really happy. I still cannot believe (it),” she said. “I just want to say thank you to everyone who supported me, I really appreciate it.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 21-year-old now has seven World Cup victories to her name for a total of 13 top-three World Cup results since she made her tour debut in 2019.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tomita’s third-place result is her second podium of the season after she was runner-up in Copper just before the Christmas break.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With less than 30 days until the start of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in February, Japan’s performance on Friday puts it on a strong trajectory for medal success in Italy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I think it’s a really good team, so I’m really happy to be on this team and it’s a good environment for me,” said Ono.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For 31-year-old Schaffrick, Friday’s result is her second World Cup podium after she was third at Secret Garden (CHN) in December 2024.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the men’s final, Totsuka claimed victory after posting a first run score of 90.50 that teammate Shigeno almost matched with his runner-up score of 90.00.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">U.S. teenager <strong>Alessandro Barbieri </strong>was third on 89.25, while Australia’s<strong> Valentino Guseli </strong>finished fourth on Friday after winning the Calgary World Cup in the new year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Totsuka’s high score came courtesy of a run that began with a switch backside 1260 mute, then a cab double 1440 drunk driver, a frontside 1260 tailgrab, a backside 1260 mute, and finally a frontside double 1440 indy on the last hit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The win is the 24-year-old’s third podium finish this season after Totsuka was runner-up in a Japanese podium sweep at the season opener in Secret Garden in December, and again in Copper just before the Christmas break.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I’m happy to win this competition because (I was) always second this year. I’m happy now, super happy.” </div><div style="text-align: justify;">– Yuto Totsuka (JPN)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Runner-up Shigeno’s performance is his third World Cup podium after he previously finished third in Calgary twice in 2023 and 2024.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For 17-year-old Barbieri, Friday’s third place is the second time he has finished within the top-three after securing his maiden World Cup podium in Calgary in 2025 – also in third place, and also behind Totsuka who was runner-up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last season’s Crystal Globe winner<strong> Ruka Hirano</strong> was fifth on Friday ahead of teammate <strong>Ryusei Yamada</strong> in sixth.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After four events,<strong> Totsuka</strong> leads the men’s World Cup standings on 260 points. In the women’s standings, teenager <strong>Gaon Choi </strong>(KOR) still leads the field with 200 points thanks to back-to-back victories at Secret Garden and Copper. Choi did not compete in Aspen or the previous World Cup in Calgary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The fifth Halfpipe World Cup of the season – and the last event before the Milano Cortina 2026 Games – will begin on 15 January in Laax (SUI).</div>