ZHANGJIAKOU, China (Kyodo) -- Japan's Yuto Totsuka was near perfect Sunday as he took gold in the opening round of the snowboarding halfpipe World Cup at China's Secret Garden resort.

The 23-year-old nailed a high-scoring triple cork 1440 on his way to a winning total of 95.50 at the Beijing Winter Olympic venue in Zhangjiakou, where Japanese athletes accounted for five of the top six in the star-studded men's competition.

Australia's Scotty James scored 88.25 for silver and 18-year-old Ryusei Yamada rounded out the podium with 87.75.

Reigning Olympic champion Ayumu Hirano was fourth, with last season's overall World Cup winner Ruka Hirano fifth and Shuichiro Shigeno sixth.

Japan's Mitsuki Ono, last season's overall champion, placed fourth in the women's event won by Maddie Mastro of the United States.

The World Cup opener marked the start of the qualifying process for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics.