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“The third time was a charm” is an understatement of what Japanese snowboarder Ayumu Hirano accomplished by winning the men’s halfpipe event at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Friday, February 11. After a mesmerizing first run, the judges seemed to undercut Hirano’s second run, leading to an outrage by the live play-by-play commentators and online Twitter spectators.
His third and final run was a sequence of spectacular 1440s and a 1220 to become the first ever Japanese to win a gold medal in the event, and the first Olympian to successfully land a triple cork 1440 in competition, completing the redemption of his consecutive silver medal finishes in prior years.
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On Twitter, we look at how people reacted in the region and beyond:
"Ayumu Hirano, a big congratulations on your gold medal!!! I was on the slopes but I really want to watch the run, so I asked the staff and they let me see it on TV, resulting in me halving an epic laugh."
平野歩夢選手、金メダル本当におめでとうございます！！！！??
— はなお (@hanao87_0) February 11, 2022
ゲレンデにいたんですが、決勝見たすぎてスタッフさんにお願いしてテレビ見せてもらいました?
が、その結果これでクソワロタ(ﾜﾛﾃﾅｲ) pic.twitter.com/yEv2BtNzK8
Justice! What a run by Ayumu Hirano for gold.
— Jackie Spiegel (@jackiespiegel93) February 11, 2022
"Woke up to see Ayumu Hirano won the gold medal is such an uplifting feeling. Congratulations."
起きたら平野選手が金メダル獲得しててめちゃくちゃ嬉しい??
— 川澄奈穂美 Nahomi Kawasumi (@NahoKawasumi_9) February 11, 2022
おめでとうございます㊗️?#映像探してみるぞ#ライブで観たかったけど今日も練習だし寝た
JUSTICE FOR AYUMU HIRANO!!!!!!! ???
— David Murrell (@davidmurrellv) February 11, 2022
"Snowboarding. Ayumu Hirano, congratulations on your gold medal. Personally, I was very touched to see that Shaun White, who is a little different in age, was stroking his head and congratulating him. The man who put snowboarding on the world stage, and together with the man who carried the sports on his back - I think only those two can understand this special moment."
スノーボード。平野歩夢選手、金メダルおめでとうございます。僕個人としては、年齢がひとまわり違うショーン・ホワイト選手が頭を撫でて祝福していたのがとても印象的でした。スノーボードの世界を引っ張ってきた男と、それを背負っていく男しかわからない特別な瞬間だったのではないかと思います。
— 越前屋俵太 (@echizenya_hyota) February 11, 2022
"Japanese snowboarding representative, Ayumu Hirano, congratulations on your gold medal. I’m so glad I can draw this Olympic Winner Series in this way. I saw the broadcast live, and your third run was a masterpiece."
スノーボード日本代表平野歩夢選手
— もりらんくる＠イラスト (@morirancrujapan) February 11, 2022
金メダルおめでとう?
こうやってオリンピックウィナーシリーズ又描ける事を嬉しく思います❣️
この中継生で観てましたが、
ホント3回目の滑りは圧巻でしたね?#平野歩夢#ハーフパイプ#イラスト#スノーボード#人物イラスト#北京オリンピック2022 pic.twitter.com/El5sVt7t6d
Shaun White gave #gold medalist Ayumu Hirano a big hug after his final mixed zone interview.
— Davis VanOpdorp (@Davis_VanOpdorp) February 11, 2022
“Let’s go skating sometime,” he said. #Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/GT061TTwf9
Kaishu Hirano: “ ‘I really thought my brother should get the gold medal.’ Let’s get the medal together as brothers at the Milano Cortina Games 4 years from now.”
平野海祝くん
— ? (@t_iruy) February 11, 2022
「#金メダル 獲るべきは兄ちゃんだ」と思ってたんだって?
4年後の??ミラノ・コルティナで兄弟でメダル獲ろう(๑•̀ •́)و✧???#Snowboard #スノーボード#AyumuHirano pic.twitter.com/vZdCHmfv7s
JUSTICE FOR AYUMU HIRANO. I was gonna go postal if they made him silver A G A I N but they finally got it right PUT SOME RESPECT ON HIS NAME ?? #BEIJING2022
— ᴮᴱSierraes⁷?❄ (@atiny_yoongi) February 11, 2022
Ayumu Hirano gets JUSTICE! Congrats to him and Japan for the Gold Medal! DESERVED! Also big congrats to Shaun White, dude did his best in his final competition in the Olympics and was so glad to watch his final run! #Olympics2022
— CrazyMtch42 (@CrazyMtch42) February 11, 2022
Update: The man on my TV now says justice has been achieved Ayumu Hirano! I am happy!
— Diana Moskovitz (@DianaMoskovitz) February 11, 2022
