Japan's injury-hit defending men's snowboard halfpipe gold medalist Ayumu Hirano advanced to the final of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Wednesday as Beijing Games runner-up Scotty James of Australia topped the qualifying round.Hirano placed seventh and was among four Japanese to reach Friday's final, with Yuto Totsuka second on 91.25 points, behind only James' 94.00, 19-year-old Ryusei Yamada third with 90.25, and Ruka Hirano scoring 87.50 for fifth at Livigno Snow Park.Ayumu Hirano scored 83.00 for his first run, which featured two 1440s, then performed the trick again on his second…READ FULL ARTICLE
