Irving Snags First Career Podium With an X Games Bronze Medal

U.S. Freeski Team athlete Svea Irving went big in the SuperPipe on Saturday night and ended the evening on the podium for the first time in her professional career. 

Irving came to the X Games as an alternate and left with a bronze medal. This is not only Irving's first X Games medal, it is her first ever podium at the professional level. As an alternate, you are not guaranteed a starting position. For Irving, she found out the night before the contest that she would have the opportunity to drop in, and she took it.

With the heavy snowfall significantly slowing down the pipe for all athletes, she managed to find her speed and amplitude and landed a very technical combo of tricks that eventually led her to be in the top three overall. On her final run through the pipe, matched with screams from the thousands of fans, Irving landed the alleyoop flat five to cork nine combo and walked away with an X Games Bronze. 

"I just won my first bronze medal at any big event ever," said Irving in disbelief. "I am absolutely speechless but very grateful to be on the podium with such great athletes. I am just so stoked to be here!" 

Along with Irving, teammates Hanna Faulhaber and Brita Sigourney also competed. Faulhaber, who won X Games Bronze at last years competition, ended the night in fifth and Sigourney, who has competed in 14 X Games in her career, was seventh. Zoe Atkin of Great Britain won Gold and Rachael Karker of Canada was Silver. 

Now Irving and the rest of the team, both men and women, travel to the west coast for the U.S. Toyota Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain. 

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