The Big Air qualification round at the Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, concluded February 5th with Czech snowboarder jakub Hroneš falling short of a spot in the final. Despite a strong World Cup record that includes two top-five finishes, the 21-year-old Hroneš struggled with consistency in his Olympic debut, finishing 28th of 30 competitors. Japan dominated the qualifying event,sending all four of its athletes to the final round,where they will compete alongside Italy’s Ian matteoli for a medal.
Czech snowboarder Jakub Hroneš did not advance to the final round of the Big Air competition at the Winter Olympics on February 5th. He finished 28th in the qualification round held in Livigno, Italy, with a total score of 86.00 based on his two best of three jumps – 77 points short of qualifying for the top 12. Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara led the qualification round.
The 21-year-old Hroneš faced an uphill battle after struggling with his initial jumps in his Olympic debut. After his first trick, launched from a 55-meter-high structure, he landed heavily on his heel edge and used his hand to brace himself on the snow.
Hroneš was in 22nd place out of 30 competitors after the first round. He needed to significantly improve his score of 40 points to remain in contention for the final, but was unable to do so, despite support from the Czech snowboard cross team, including Eva Adamczyková. His second attempt ended with a fall, effectively ending his chances.
In the final round, with no opportunity to qualify, Hroneš delivered his highest-scoring jump of the day, but still didn’t land cleanly. A score of 46 points was well below the threshold for advancing, as all finalists achieved at least 80 points on one of their tricks. Hroneš, who has previously finished in the top five at two World Cup events, has yet to reach a final at either the World Championships or the Olympics.
Milan and Cortina 2026 Olympics
Ogiwara, a two-time X-Games champion, topped the qualification round with a total of 178.50 points. The qualifying score to advance was 163 points. The entire Japanese team of four snowboarders advanced to the final. Italy’s Ian Matteoli is the only European athlete who will compete for a medal.
Hroneš will next compete in the slopestyle event, with qualifications scheduled for February 16th. His teammate, Laura Záveská, will compete in the women’s Big Air competition on February 8th, also vying for a spot in the final.
“My hidden talent is golf,” boasts Czech snowboarding hopeful Jakub Hroneš.
