Max Parrot upgraded from his Pyeongchang 2018 silver medal ©Getty Images

Cancer survivor Max Parrot celebrated gold in the men's snowboard slopestyle event at the 2022 Winter Olympics here, as teenager Su Yiming earned silver for hosts China at the Genting Snow Park.

Parrot finished as the silver medallist at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, but was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in December of the same year.

He missed the duration of the 2018-2019 season while he underwent 12 chemotherapy treatments, before being given the all-clear.

Parrot had won three X Games golds and celebrated victory at the Beijing 2022 test event since, with the 27-year-old considered among the medal contenders heading into today's 12-man final.

Parrot placed third after the opening run of the Olympic final, before a superb second effort on the course saw him rewarded with a score of 90.96.

It proved the only score to crest the 90-point mark in the competition, with Su producing the second-highest total by achieving 88.70 in the same run.

The 17-year-old was unable to improve on the final run, leaving the home favourite settling for silver behind Parrot.

Max Parrot produced the only 90-plus run of the competition ©Getty Images
Max Parrot produced the only 90-plus run of the competition ©Getty Images

"It was never an option for cancer to beat me, but I was scared a lot of the time," Parrot said, following his victory.

"You don’t know how the treatment is going to work, you don’t know what life has got in store for you.

"I fought so hard every day to beat cancer.

"I am much more mentally stronger, especially after my battle with cancer.

"Going through 12 treatments of chemotherapy over six months makes you a lot stronger.

"I don’t take anything for granted any more, it made me such a better snowboarder.

"I try to appreciate every day now - the little things in the morning through to my passion of snowboarding."

Su Yiming earned silver for the host nation ©Getty Images
Su Yiming earned silver for the host nation ©Getty Images

Parrot was joined on the podium by fellow Canadian Mark McMorris, who achieved a score of 88.53 with his final run.

The effort saw him dislodge Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic champion Red Gerard from bronze-medal position.

Gerard had set the early standard in the competition, with the American leading after the first run, and he occupied a podium spot until the latter part of the event.

McMorris became the first Winter Olympian to win bronze at the same event in three consecutive Games, following third-place finishes at Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018.