Dec 21 (NHK) - Japanese snowboarder Hirano Ayumu has become the first to successfully land a difficult trick called the triple cork 1440 in competition.
Hirano completed the trick at an international competition in the US state of Colorado on Sunday. The event featured the world's top professional snowboarders.
Hirano completed the trick on his final run. It consists of three head-over-heel flips while spinning sideways four times. He had previously pulled off a double cork 1440 in competition, which involves two flips, but had never landed a triple.
He later fell during the run and finished the competition in fifth. But the trick has raised expectations for a run at gold at February's Beijing Winter Olympics.
Hirano is a two-time Olympic silver medalist in halfpipe. He also took part in skateboarding at this summer's Tokyo Games, making him the fifth Japanese athlete to participate in both the summer and winter Olympics.
Another Japanese snowboarder, Totsuka Yuto, won Sunday's competition.
