By Mari Saito
ZHANGJIAKOU, China (Reuters) – Canadian bronze medallist Mark McMorris plans to compete at the 2026 Winter Games despite slopestyle and snowboarding in general being what he called a “young man’s sport”.
McMorris, who at 28 was already one of the oldest among the finalists in the men’s slopestyle competition on Monday, said he was proud of his “longevity” despite many injuries.
“People love to say it’s a young man’s sport but I’m super proud of myself to be riding at a high level like that and doing my best,” McMorris told reporters.
He had to settle for bronze in Monday’s final behind second-placed Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming who he has known for years.
McMorris also won bronze at Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018. Fellow Canadian Max Parrot took the gold in Monday’s final.
“To be winning still feels really great at my age of 28 and I guess I’d be 32 come 2026 so honestly I would love to be there,” McMorris said, adding that it remained his goal to step up to silver or gold at the next Games in Italy.
“I know I can still do it and I plan on it,” he added.
(Reporting by Mari Saito and Winni Zhou; Editing by Ken Ferris/Peter Rutherford)
