Snowboard teen Valentino Guseli makes World Cup history in US
Teenage Australian snowboarder Valentino Guseli has enjoyed a record-breaking weekend in the US. Photo: AP
Teen snowboard prodigy Valentino Guseli has created history, becoming the first rider to podium in all three park and pipe disciplines in one season after winning two silver medals in World Cup competition in Mammoth Mountain in the US.
The Beijing Olympian, who is still only 17, finished on the dais in big air, slopestyle and halfpipe events this weekend.
Three other snowboarders have managed the feat but never in the one season.
Competing in the best of three run halfpipe final, Guseli from country New South Wales, put down his highest score in his first run, posting 85.25 points which was enough to secure second place.
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Japanese rider Ruka Hirano finished first with a score of 91.50 points, while American Chase Blackwell won bronze with 84 points.
Guseli was then scheduled to back up his halfpipe performance by competing in the slopestyle final straight after, but unfortunately increasing high winds forced the event to be cancelled due to rider safety.
That meant results from the qualification round three days earlier stood as the final results, which had Guseli in second place with a score of 81.50 from his first run.
American Dusty Henricksen took the gold with a score of 88.68 and his teammate Chris Corning in third with 81.33.
“I’m just super hyped to have landed my tricks this week and got some pretty good results,” said Guseli, downplaying his history-making week.
“It’s a little bit unfortunate we didn’t get at it today in slopestyle, but I’m happy pipe ran and I’m happy with my riding.
“I just want to keep pushing – for podiums, wins, records … but really I just want to keep loving my life and snowboarding.”
Guseli’s other World Cup podium performance this season came in December with a big air gold medal in Edmonton, Canada, and he also won his first ever X-Games medal with a bronze in Aspen, USA, last week.
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Meanwhile, Matt Graham has rounded out a stellar weekend for Australian winter sport athletes, taking home a silver medal in the dual mogul World Cup event in Deer Valley, USA.
It was Graham’s second medal of the weekend, after earlier winning the men’s single moguls with teammate Jakara Anthony claiming gold in the women’s equivalent.
Danielle Scott also won aerial skiing gold in her World Cup event at the Deer Valley resort.
-AAP
