Todd Richards, a snowboarding legend and television (TV) commentator in the U.S., has slammed the judging criteria for the women’s snowboard slopestyle final at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics as the worst ever.
He argues it’s unfair that Japan’s Mari Fukada clinched gold with 87.83 points using relatively simple tricks, while other athletes attempted far more challenging maneuvers.
Richards took to Instagram on Thursday to share his thoughts after watching the slopestyle final at Italy’s Livigno Snowpark on Wednesday.
Fukada stumbled on her second jump during her first run. In her second attempt, she played it safe, cleanly landing a switch backside 900 and two 720 spins – tricks considered less difficult.
In contrast, silver medalist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott from New Zealand nailed a switch backside 900 and 1080s in both directions on her final run. Despite executing much more complex tricks, she finished just 0.5 points behind Fukada, sparking controversy over the judging.
Richards didn’t mince words, stating that the judges and course designers owe the athletes an apology. How can you award a gold medal for two 720s in 2026?
He added that they’re seeing front triple 1260s, switch back 900s, and 1080s. Giving gold for a 720 is absurd. This is the Olympics – these decisions can change athletes’ lives. The judging standard should be at its highest.
Even in Japan, questions arose about the scoring. Some argued that bronze medalist Kokomo Murase (Japan, 85.80 points) displayed skills more deserving of gold under different criteria.
Murase herself admitted that honestly, when she landed, she thought she had won gold. She’s disappointed she couldn’t meet expectations. Even though she executed her tricks, it feels like she fell short somehow.
In the same final, 18-year-old Yu Seung-eun from South Korea’s Seongbok High School scored 34.18 points, finishing last among 12 competitors. Despite winning bronze in the women’s big air on February 10, Yoo’s hopes for multiple medals in slopestyle were dashed by mistakes in all three runs.