Scotty James has done everything in snowboard halfpipe except one thing.
Win Olympic gold.
He has the titles. The longevity. The respect of the field. And yet, across four Olympic cycles, the top step has stayed just out of reach. Bronze in 2018. Silver in 2022. Always there. Never quite first.
As Milan Cortina 2026 approaches, the question isn’t whether Scotty James is good enough.
It’s whether the Olympics will finally line up for him.
Why this question matters now
This isn’t a young rider asking if his moment will come.
James is 30. In halfpipe terms, that’s veteran territory. He’s entering what is realistically his final Olympic window with full competitive relevance. The next generation is coming fast. The tricks are getting bigger. The judging margins are shrinking.
If gold is going to happen, it’s likely to happen now.
And that tension is what makes 2026 different from the last two Games.
The résumé says yes
On paper, James is one of the most accomplished halfpipe riders the sport has ever produced.
- Multiple world titles
- A long list of X Games wins
- Consistent podiums across a decade of competition
More importantly, he’s proven something many riders never do: he lasts. He adapts. He stays relevant while the sport evolves around him.
That matters at the Olympics, where experience and composure still count, even as difficulty escalates.
He doesn’t look like a rider hanging on. He looks like someone who still expects to win.
Then why hasn’t it happened yet?
Because Olympic halfpipe doesn’t reward careers.
It rewards one perfect run.
James has been good at the Olympics. Very good. But gold-level Olympic runs require a specific combination that’s harder to control than most fans realize:
- Absolute cleanliness
- Maximum amplitude
- Progressive trick selection
- And flawless execution under the most compressed pressure the sport offers
In Beijing, he landed his run. It just wasn’t the most progressive one in the field.
At the Olympics, that’s the difference between silver and gold.
The judging problem no one likes to talk about
Halfpipe judging has always lived in a grey zone. It balances difficulty, execution, height, flow, and subjective interpretation of style.
James’ riding is polished, powerful, and consistent. What it isn’t is reckless.
That’s usually an advantage. At the Olympics, it can be a liability.
When another rider puts down something visibly new, judges often chase progression. Even if it’s less composed. Even if the margin is thin.
James has occasionally been on the wrong side of that equation.
Not robbed. Not ignored. Just edged by risk.
Milan Cortina changes the equation slightly
European venues tend to produce a different competitive rhythm than Asian or North American Games.
Conditions are often less predictable. Pipes ride differently. Amplitude becomes harder to maintain. Clean runs become more valuable.
That could work in James’ favor.
If the event turns into a consistency contest rather than an arms race, he’s one of the safest bets in the field.
But if it becomes a progression shootout, he’ll need to show something new, not just something perfect.
The real requirement for gold
For James to win Olympic gold, three things have to align:
- He needs his highest difficulty run ever, not his safest
- He needs to land it twice, because qualifying matters
- The final has to reward execution as much as innovation
None of those are guaranteed. All of them are possible.
The uncomfortable truth is that he can do everything right and still lose. That’s Olympic halfpipe.
Is he a favorite?
Yes. But not a lock.
James will enter Milan Cortina as one of the top medal contenders. Anyone saying otherwise is ignoring reality. But “favorite” in Olympic snowboarding is a fragile label.
It doesn’t protect you from:
- A slightly lower score
- A rival peaking at the right moment
- Or a judging panel leaning progressive
Gold requires timing as much as talent.
The bigger legacy question
Here’s the part that matters beyond medals.
James is already an all-time great. His place in snowboard history doesn’t depend on Olympic gold. But sport is rarely that rational.
Gold would change how his career is summarized.
It would remove the one asterisk people quietly add.
It would close the loop.
For Australian winter sport, it would be seismic. For James himself, it would be validation more than vindication.
So will he win?
He can.
He’s good enough. He’s experienced enough. He’s still dangerous enough.
But Olympic gold in halfpipe is never about who should win. It’s about who lands the right run at the exact right time.
James has one more real shot to do that.
If he wants gold, he can’t just be the most complete rider in the field.
He has to be the boldest version of himself.
And that’s the risk he’ll have to decide to take.
