In 2022, just days before his 18th birthday, Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming found himself atop an Olympic podium with a gold medal hanging around his neck.
The 17-year-old had just won the men’s big air final at the Beijing Winter Olympics, a moment which changed his life in unimaginable ways.
In truth, Su was already well-known by some in China. He had found fame as a child actor in several movies before switching his attention to professional snowboarding in 2018.
But after winning gold – and a silver in the slopestyle event – at his home Games, his profile soared higher than he could ever have imagined.
Luxury brands came barreling in, wanting to…
