Ayumu Hirano (Japan, 23, snowboard; skateboarding)

After his Olympic skateboarding debut on home soil in Tokyo 2020, Ayumu Hirano continued to challenge himself. "I'm going to switch to snowboarding soon," he said. "There is not a single day to waste."

Hirano, who grew up riding on his father's own skatepark ramps, announced in November 2018 that he would try to qualify and compete at Tokyo 2020 in skateboarding. He won the Japanese national skateboarding championships in May 2019.

Hirano is a two-time Olympic snowboard silver medalist, finishing runner-up in the halfpipe at Sochi 2014－becoming the Games' youngest ever snowboarding medalist in the process－and again at Pyeongchang 2018.

At Beijing 2022, Hirano resumes his rivalry with American legend Shaun White. Four years ago in South Korea, White pipped Hirano to claim his third Olympic gold. On Wednesday, both men made it safely through to Friday's Beijing 2022 halfpipe final.

Hirano has been in superb form this season. He won the snowboard halfpipe crown at the Laax Open last month, claiming his first overall World Cup championship in the process. In December 2021, he became the first rider in the sport's history to land the elusive triple cork trick in competition.

"I want to have no regrets and make sure I give it everything I've got," Hirano said of his Beijing 2022 campaign. "I want to give a performance I can be happy with and express myself. I want to express myself in a way that only I can."

Xinhua