The result is that 15-year-old Ayumu Hirano leads after the first run. In the most spectacular of Winter Olympic sports, we have absolute drama.

Can you believe this? Shaun White has dropped not one, but two tricks. He was reaching heights of over five metres, almost sits down, then lands painfully on the corner of the halfpipe. In each of his previous Olympic wins, White has nailed the first run. Now, he is in unfamiliar territory. Remember, the best score counts, so he has another chance, but who expected this?

Aine McManus:, external ‏"It's like an alligator giving birth. Very rare." "Aren't they reptiles? Don't they lay eggs?" Oh I love this snowboarding commentary. Legends.

Emma:, external Whoever is commentating on the men's Snowboard final, you are my favourite people.

Image source, Getty Images

Incredible stuff. Hirano could have been sitting down on at least two occasions. When he wasn't battling to stay upright, he was hanging in the air forever. Somehow, he managed to record a score of 90.75, taking the lead. Here comes Shaun White...

Ed Leigh
BBC Sport snowboarding commentator

"This pipe doesn't care who you are or what you're done. It eats you up and spits you out."

So, to bring you up to speed, there's a total of 12 men in this final, who each take to the halfpipe on two occasions. We're almost at the end of the first run, which will be concluded by two-time Olympic champion and 13-time X Games champion Shaun White. He's good. Up next, the penultimate run, is 15-year-old Japanese Ayumo Hirano. 15!

Iouri Podladtchikov of Switzerland is in medal contention with an effort of 86.50. He still has his yo-yo flip up his sleeve for the second run, apparently, according to BBC Sport's Ed Leigh.

American Danny Davis was in good form earlier today. He is going well until he crashes late on. "He falls victim to the snow snake," says Leigh.

No time to draw breath as we move effortlessly from sliding down the ice to climbing up snow and into the air. Both spectacular in their own way, we go from luge to the men's snowboard halfpipe. America's Shaun White is the hottest of hot favourites.

Image source, @NickHopeBBC

BBC Sport's Nick Hope on Twitter:, external Extreme Park is absolutely heaving here in Sochi. Lots of USA support in there as Shaun White bids for gold number three.

Geisenburger's time was the fastest run of the day - she has been fastest on all of the four runs - and she adds to the bronze she won four years ago. Hamlin's bronze is the first individual luge medal that the United States have ever won.

Image source, AFP

Is it possible to make winning an Olympic luge gold medal look comfortable? That is exactly what Natalie Geisenberger has just done - winning by more than a second. She completes a German one-two with Tatjana Huefner, America's Erin Hamlin winning bronze.

Here comes Natalie Geisenberger, the world champion. Away she goes, gold in her sights...

Germany's Tatjana Huefner pats the ice four times to start her bid for gold. If she betters Hamlin, she'll have at least silver. Streamline, toes pointed, up the hill with a lead. In she comes...0.238 of a second up on Hamlin. The gold medal will be won by a German, but will it be Huefner or Natalie Geisenberger?

Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport in Sochi

And we're off. American Sarah Hendrickson becomes the first woman to jump in the Olympics. She plunges down the hill at 90kmh and jumps 94m to set the pace. A pump of the fist, a wave to the crowd and it's like the last 150 years never happened.

A slow start for Hamlin, but lost time is made up on Gough, pulling away from the Canadian. Hamlin takes 0.433 seconds off Gough's time - she is guaranteed at least bronze and celebrates with the Stars and Stripes.

Alex Gough the fourth-last to go, taking the lead by over three tenths of a second. That might be enough for a medal. America's Erin Hamlin, the next to go, is under pressure. We're about to decide the medal winners.

Skeleton gold medal winner Amy Williams on Twitter:, external So it's time, the men's final of halfpipe, who will take gold? The favourite Shaun White or the young 15-year old Japanese rider Hirano?

The musical chairs at the top of the leaderboard continues, now Canada's Kimberley McRae takes over. Only four remain. Can any beat Germany's Natalie Geisenberger? The world champion led after three runs.

The halfpipe final is under way and you can watch it at the top of this page by clicking on the Live Coverage option.

Nick Hope
BBC Sport at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park

"The scene is set for history to be made tonight, but can legendary United States snowboarder Shaun White add another honour to his glorious career?

"The 27-year-old has two Olympic titles in the halfpipe and in the next 90 minutes could become the first person to win three successive Olympic snowboard gold medals.

"He qualified with the highest score - 95.75 - but will face strong competition particularly from Japan, who's 15-year-old Ayumu Hirano could become the nation's first-ever snowboard Olympic medallist.