Men's halfpipe final AS IT HAPPENED: Silver for Scotty James after heartbreaking fall on final jump, Valentino Guseli fifth

That concludes our live coverage of the men's snowboard halfpipe final from Milano Cortina 2026.

It wasn't to be for Scotty James and Valentino Guseli, but silver for the former ensures Australia enjoyed it's most successful day ever at a winter Games.

We heard from Val Guseli just before the medal ceremony. He said that final was the "craziest level of halfpipe snowboarding of all time".

There were plenty of crashes, and many riders didn't post times. Both Guseli and James crashed twice.

"I think when it's something like this, everyone wants to win and … we all jumped the gun a little bit," he explained to Nine's James Bracey.

"Even Scotty, you know, he didn't get his first run - (he) pushed really hard. And then yeah unfortunately didn't get his last one either."

Guseli's final run was stunning, and was enough for him to score an 88 and seal fifth place.

"You always want to put on a show, especially if you don't win," he told Nine's James Bracey.

"It was a great night - I landed one of the best runs I've ever landed, which is always a good thing, and I think I had the highest air of night, so I'll take that. That's a massive win.

"That's the philosophy I have in snowboarding, to go as big as I can. I'm happy that I did that tonight."

Guseli, still only 20, reckons he didn't have the tricks capable of getting on the podium tonight. That kind of humbleness is why he's so beloved by Australia.

"I don't really have more tricks comfortable enough to do up there, or at least tonight I didn't," he said.

"So I kind of tried to put all my eggs in the amplitude basket. The first and second run, the speed got ahead of me and I just lost it.

"But whatever … might see you in slopestyle."

Scotty James looked as if he was fighting back tears on he podium as he received his silver medal from Jess Fox.

"Scotty James, not only are you a great bloke, you are an absolute legend," Mitch Tomlinson said for Nine.

The man himself wasn't the only one welling up - so was Torah Bright in commentary.

"I am shedding tears with you, Scotty, because you have just made history," she said.

"This is not the destiny you wanted, but an Olympic silver medal around your neck, you're doing us all proud. Three Olympic. Medals."

GOLD: Yuto Totsuka (JAP) 95.00

SILVER: Scotty James (AUS) 93.50

BRONZE: Ryusei Yamada (JAP) 92.00

It's devastation for Scotty James. He was putting together an incredible final run that would without a doubt have threatened gold, he crashes from his last trick.

He collapses to the snow with his head in his hands. He's uninjured, but clearly emotional. It's his second consecutive silver.

"He ran out of pipe because he was willing to give it everything, all that he had to gain that gold medal around his neck," Torah Bright said for Nine.

"Heartbreak and greatness stand side by side. He was willing to risk it and he literally had it, but he ran out of pipe.

"Oh, Scotty, we love you no matter what. You are the man."

With a silver and a gold, it's Australia's most successful day ever at a winter Games, eclipsing the bronze and gold Jakara Anthony and Tess Coady won in Beijing.

Unfortunately for our Kiwi brethren, it was a tough night in the office for Campbell Melville-Ives.

He made errors on all three runs and will finish last in the final.

VALENTINO GUSELI! YOU LEGEND.

With the pressure on after two errors from his first two runs, Val Guseli nailed his final run.

"I feel like I'm going to pass out ... I am speechless," Torah Bright said for Nine.

"Signed. Sealed. Delivered," Jay Carney added.

Unfortunately it's 'only' an 88 and he slides into fifth position.

"He takes that in his stride. Valentino, hold your head high. You have done the whole of this country so, so proud," Carney said.

SCOTTY JAMES YOU LEGEND.

He's just shot himself into second place with a stunning second run - a 93.50.

"Some runs make the highlight reel but some runs create history," Mitch Tomlinson said for Nine.

"Scotty James has just delivered a TKO!"

It would have been first if it wasn't for Yuto Totsuka with the run immediately before James.

"That's a championship run," Jay Carney said for Nine.

Valentino Guseli has just one run to make it all count - he's made another small error and did not improve.

"Landed too far down in that transition and could not hold on," Torah Bright said for Nine.

Meanwhile, an 87 for Ayumu Hirano made it an all-Japan top four!