Gold Leads US At World Champs Halfpipe
SIERRA NEVADA, Spain (March 11, 2017) – The halfpipe contest at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships went off under the lights at Sierra Nevada, Spain on Saturday night, where the U.S. qualified four riders to the final: Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, CO) and Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, CA) represented for the women, while Louie Vito (Bellefontaine, OH) and Ryan Wachendorfer (Edwards, CO) represented for the men.
Gold was the top finisher for the American ladies, finishing fifth despite struggling with shoulder pain. “The pipe was better than I expected,” she said after the comp. “It’s a little scary just because it’s so warm and it has some mystical bumps in there that are a bit hard to see but it’s a good pipe.”
Mastro finished just behind Gold in sixth. China’s Xuetong Cai won the event, Japan’s Haruna Matsumoto was second and France’s Clemence Grimal rounded out the podium in third.
Louie Vito was the top American in eighth Saturday night. (Getty Images/AFP-Javier Soriano)
Vito was the top American finisher for the men with an eighth-place performance. Wachendorfer finished just behind him in ninth.
Scotty James of Australia continued his dominant season with the win, while Swiss riders Iouri Podladtchikov and Patrick Burgener rounded out the podium in second and third respectively.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Arielle Gold was the top American finisher in fifth. Her run scored 74.25: Michalchuk, frontside 900, backside 540, frontside 720, Cab 720.
- World Championships continues Sunday with men's and women's snowboardcross.
QUOTES
Arielle Gold
The pipe was better than I expected. It’s a little scary just because it’s so warm and it has some mystical bumps in there that are a bit hard to see but it’s a good pipe. My Michalchuk on the first hit felt good.
