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 that changed his life in unimaginable ways.

Related video above: The history behind the color and number of the Olympic rings

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 partner with the man of the moment who captured the

See Full Page