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 is competing without his injured sister
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.
But the dream of competing together at Livigno was shattered when Flora Tabanelli tore the ACL in her right knee in November, just before her 18th birthday.
“I’m really sorry about Flora. We’ve been used to being together for many years, always comparing our trick progress,” Tabanelli said. “Now, however, she’s recovering quickly, and I hope to see her back on skis soon.”
Like her brother, Flora Tabanelli had generated medal hopes among her home fans after she won gold in big air at last season’s world championships and became the World Cup champion in the discipline.
Tabanelli said his sister’s injury did not alter his preparations.
“Absolutely not. The program was developed with the technical staff and is proceeding unchanged,” he said. “The goal is to be in top condition for the Olympic Games.
“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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