Olympic champion Ayumu Hirano claimed men's halfpipe gold and his 15-year-old compatriot Sara Shimizu won the women's title Friday as Japanese snowboarders took five of the six podium spots at the World Cup round in Colorado's Copper Mountain.Hirano, the 2022 Beijing Olympic gold medalist, saved his best for last, scoring 97.00 points on his third and final run to clinch his seventh World Cup crown ahead of Yuto Totsuka on 94.75 and Ruka Hirano on 92.75 in a men's podium sweep for Japan.Totsuka, winner of the halfpipe season opener in China, looked set for back-to-back victories before the …READ FULL ARTICLE
