How King James hit career-best high on eve of Olympics

Japan's Ayumu Hirano landed the first-ever triple cork 1440 in Olympic halfpipe competition to win gold in 2022 ahead of James, but the Australian great will arrive in Italy having set his own new benchmark in the sport.

James upped the ante at the recent X-Games when he became the first rider to land consecutive backside 1440-degree jumps - one riding forward, the other riding switch (backwards).

The ability to spin four ways - riding forward and backward, then spinning either clockwise or counterclockwise from either direction - is considered one of the sport's holy grails and James is a technical master.

"I wanted to do something for myself and for the halfpipe and push backside riding as much as I can and I think that was the plan - I wanted to come out and do the first ever back-to-back backside 14s ever so I'm pumped," James said after the X-Games victory last month.

James told AAP the "foundations" he had in place, including wife Chloe and toddler son Leo, had helped him feel in career-best form ahead of his fifth Olympics.

"It's a result of being very mindful over all the years about how to keep the spark and keep the energy and pulling back when you need to, and being strategic," said the 31-year-old, who also won bronze in PyeongChang in 2018.

"Like myself and my team, we've always been very mindful of what my my north star is, in terms of being a competitor and are very mindful of how I treat myself off the hill.

"When I say, 'I'm in career best form', I think I have a really good balance in my life at the moment - about my sport and what my priorities are on the hill and at home.

"I have a sustainable foundation to continue to have the love, passion and drive, to want to compete at the high level."

He said that there was initial belief the triple cork 1440 was challenging the limitations of the pipe in terms of flips and rotations, but he knew to find more, hence his drive to improve his backside riding.

"I would have probably said about three years ago that the triple cork would be challenging that (limitation) until they weren't.

"You never say never, I mean, the ceiling seems to just get higher every year.

"Looking back on his (Hirano's) run, and it was technically incredible, was flawless, great amplitude, so it ticked every box from an execution perspective, and obviously he did a triple cork which hadn't been done before.

"I could have executed better so it is what it is, to be honest, and I just had to learn from it and be ready to go and the next opportunity."

That chance will come on February 13 (local time).

While named in the Japanese team, Hirano is in doubt after crashing so heavily at World Cup event in Switzerland he broke his board and suffered multiple fractures and bruising to his face.

But James is more focused on his own performance than his rivals.

"We talk a lot about north stars and I think it's fair to say, the elephant in the room for me, from an accolade perspective, is I haven't won an Olympic gold medal yet.

"I've been close and I've been fortunate enough to succeed and have the triumph in all the other events around the world.

"So I look at the Olympics the same way, in that I think it's possible, and I think I can put myself in the best possible position to make it happen.

"I've been there many, many times so from an experience perspective, I feel good about it, and I'll just stay on this wave and see how we go."

Australian Associated Press