Aussie teen makes World Cup halfpipe breakthrough

Australian snowboard ace Val Guseli has received his second profession FIS World Cup occasion, claiming halfpipe gold on the Calgary snow rodeo.

Guseli was in supreme type on the pipe in Calgary, incomes scores of 89.25 and 91.50 in his first two runs.

No person may greatest his rating, giving {the teenager} a victory lap in his third and last run through which he displayed his immense aptitude for amplitude to wow the spectators.

It was his second World Cup medal of the season after the a historic 1-2 in Laax final month.

The 18-year-old, who made his Olympic debut on the halfpipe in Beijing, ending sixth, has confirmed himself to be a real triple-threat rider, excelling in all three park and pipe disciplines: Halfpipe, slopestyle and large air.

His solely earlier World Cup gold got here on the Edmonton Fashion Expertise Huge Air competitors final season — when he additionally turned the primary rider in historical past to medal in all three disciplines in a single 12 months.

“I actually do like Canada,” Guseli mentioned.

“The 2 wins I’ve had in a World Cup are in Canada, and I’m tremendous completely satisfied.

“The pipe was nice, the snow was nice, and the gang was nice, my favorite factor is when there’s a huge crowd out to help us.

“Right now was a very good day, I landed all of my runs, and I’m completely satisfied.”

Guseli’s victory means he completed second within the general World Cup halfpipe standings behind Calgary silver medallist Ruka Hirano and forward of James — who missed this occasion after injuring his knee in coaching.

Guseli will now shift his focus to slopestyle occasions, with the subsequent World Cup going down at Spindleruv Mlyn in Czechia in March. 

Double medals for Scott

Reigning World Cup collection champion Danielle Scott continued her spectacular run of type with a double-medal successful efficiency at Lac-Beauport.

Scott claimed silver on Saturday evening in Quebec with a double full-full triple twisting double again somersault that earned her 84.24 factors.

“It has been a very tough day,” Scott mentioned on Saturday.

“I believe everybody struggled in the beginning, the soar form modified, so we needed to make that fast adjustment.

“However I received my jumps carried out and I’m fairly proud of them and nonetheless have room for enchancment

Her second place — her third silver medal of the 12 months — was sufficient to maneuver her into the general lead on the World Cup standings.

Nevertheless, she was usurped by Sunday’s winner, American Winter Vinecki, with Scott ending third.

Vinecki solely scraped into the tremendous last in sixth spot, however pulled out all of the stops within the last, competing a again lay-full-full, the one girl to aim a triple within the competitors, to win her third title of the season and declare the leaders yellow bib.

Fellow Australian Abbey Willcox continued her glorious return to the World Cup circuit by making her third-consecutive tremendous last.

Willcox completed fifth on each days to sit down seventh within the general standings.

The ultimate World Cup of the season is in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on March 10.