Olympic halfpipe champion Ayumu Hirano has indicated his intention to defend his title at the upcoming Milan Cortina Games, despite sustaining significant injuries last month.
The 27-year-old suffered a severe fall at a snowboard contest in Switzerland, with his trainer later confirming he had broken his nose and pelvis.
Hirano, however, remained tight-lipped about the specifics of his condition on Wednesday.
A statement released by the Ski Association of Japan quoted him saying: "I just have to trust what I’ve built up to this point so far and ride the way I’m capable of riding."
Hirano, who secured gold at the last Olympics to add to his two previous silver medals, is on the cusp of making history.
According to Olympics.com, he could become the first Japanese Winter Olympian to win a medal at four consecutive Games.
He was once considered Shaun White's primary rival on the Olympic halfpipe, narrowly losing to him in a memorable 2018 contest in South Korea, before clinching victory four years ago with a groundbreaking triple cork.
Reflecting on his approach, Hirano stated: "I think it’s been a process of coming to terms with myself and recognising what I needed to work on. I’ve always felt like the challenger, so not a lot has changed about me as far as I’m concerned. I hope to be myself, just give it everything I’ve got."
Official training for the halfpipe event is scheduled to commence on Sunday, with the men's qualifying rounds set for next Wednesday.
The Winter Olympics opening ceremony is due to take place on Friday, with Mariah Carey set to be the headline performer.
The Olympic torch arrived in Milan on Thursday morning ahead of the ceremony, but was greeted by a Greenpeace protest as the environmental activists urged organisers to “kick polluters out of the Games”.
