Su Yiming exclusive: "I'm dreaming, I'm crying like a little kid, I feel so much love"

Su Yiming has become an Olympic big air gold medallist, an Olympic silver medallist, a Chinese national hero, and a snowboarding idol to tens of millions of young aspiring boarders - all before his 18th birthday, today 18 February.

Su rocked the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and wowed the world with his next-gen jumps and a bag of tricks to prove his status as People's Republic of China's snowboard prodigy:

A frontside 1440, switch backside 1620 and backside 1800 gave him silver in slopestyle, then he stomped down a frontside 1800 and a backside triple cork 1800 in the men's big air final to win gold - his country's first medal in the event.

Speaking on a video call while still riding the Olympic high, Su tells Olympics.com what it was like to do it at his home Games.

"It feels like a dream, a big dream come true. I've been dreaming about this moment for the past four years every day. And now finally... a dream come true."

What was it like on the podium?

"I cannot see, cannot hear you know? Just enjoying it and trying to focus on what I'm doing. That was insane, one of the most crazy moments ever.

"This is my first Olympics and I don't know what's going on, right? I'm just having fun with the best riders in the world and my idols, they're all my idols!"

Su's victory in snowboard big air came ahead of Norwegian Mons Roisland in silver and Canadian Max Parrot in bronze, athletes Su has always looked up to.

It was an emotional moment for him when he realised the gold medal was his even before his third run.

"Before I dropped for my last run, I knew I'm going to win. I have enough scores, right?

"So at the moment, I know I'm going to win. I'm just crying, you know, and my coach... we're sitting together, no words... and