Olympics: Big air champ Kimura channeled Ohtani ethos to greatness

LIVIGNO, Italy - Less than a year after a shock exit at the snowboard world championships, Kira Kimura shot to stardom with Milan Cortina Winter Olympics big air gold, in part thanks to his embrace of baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani's world-beating mindset.

Last March, the 2023-2024 World Cup season winner Kimura locked himself in his room in despair after finding himself the only one among nine male and female Japanese big air competitors not to reach the final in Switzerland.