A year after his trailblazing trick, Miro Tabanelli targets another Italian medal in big air
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Miro Tabanelli sped down the steep incline before launching into a spin that expanded the limits of what is possible for daredevils on skis.
Six-and-a-half dizzying rotations later, all completed in a near blur to the naked eye, the 21-year-old Italian slammed his skis into the snow in Aspen, Colorado, and thrust his arms skyward. He had just become the first skier to land a 2340-degree jump in competition. That, not surprisingly, earned him a gold medal in big air at the 2025 Winter X Games.
As the ecstatic television commentator put it: “Miro Tabanelli has spun into the future!”
Tabanelli reflected on his feat almost a year later as he was set to compete in the Milan Cortina Olympics in his home country.
“It was a milestone I reached after a long time of preparation,” the 21-year-old Tabanelli told The Associated Press.
Beneath the nonchalant attitude that freestyle skiers and snowboarders are known for, Tabanelli said he put countless hours into nailing his unprecedented airborne twirl.
“Nothing happens by chance,” he said. “I’d been doing it in training for a while, but it was about getting a certain level of consistency before doing it in competition. At the X Games everything was perfect, and the 2340 gave me a wonderful victory.”
He said it was all about hard work, belief — and letting go.
“It’s a wonderful feeling when you manage to make such a leap, which requires no thought, just a lot of practice and a lot of confidence.”
Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara executed the first 2340 jump on a snowboard at the same X Games last year.
Tabanelli will compete in freestyle big air qualifying on Sunday. As of Saturday, the host country had exceeded expectations by winning 18 medals, including six golds.
Tabanelli’s sister is also an Olympian
Tabanelli’s rise has been paralleled by that of his younger sister, Flora Tabanelli, herself a breakout freestyle skier.
The siblings practically grew up in the snow. Their parents managed a mountain refuge at 1800 meters in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.
And they were peaking together after both won a World Cup event in France last March.
The siblings also participated in a publicity stunt at the 2024 Giro d’Italia cycling race, when they soared over the road while cyclist Tadej Pogacar was pedaling underneath during a stage that finished in Livigno, the site of the Olympic freestyle and snowboarding events.
Their chances of competing together at the Milan Cortina Games appeared to be gone when Flora Tabanelli injured the ACL in her right knee in November, just before her 18th birthday.
She was expected to miss the Games, but she recovered in time to participate in Saturday’s big air qualification.
Flora Tabanelli also has medal hopes. She won gold in big air at last season’s world championships and became the World Cup champion in the discipline.
For his part, Miro Tabanelli said he’s fully prepared.
“The preparation went well. We worked hard on the physical training, but also on perfecting the tricks.”
Speaking of tricks, will he try to add another twist his 2340?
That, he said, “is a secret!”
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This story has been corrected. A previous version reported incorrectly that Flora Tabanelli would not be competing at the Milan Cortina Games because of injury. She is competing.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics