Snowboarding FIS World Championships 2017

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FIS SNOWBOARDING

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

 

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Onitsuka and Garcia Knight top slopestyle qualifiers

 

After the freestyle skiers already had their first medal event in the books at the 2^nd ever combined world champs, things were finally kicking off for the snowboarders, too, at the Sierra Nevada 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships.

 

Blessed with a bluebird sky, riders were tackling the huge course built on the Loma de Dílar slope which features a four kicker line (with the third jump part also offering some jibbing features) as well as two massive rail sections of which the latter one was constructed following the theme of an Andalusian village.

 

In the women's event, Miyabi Onitsuka underlined her claim on the title as the defending champion from Japan owned the course scoring a 93.00 for her backside 720 to frontside 360, 50-50 frontside 180 out, cab 540 backside grab, a 50-50 on the right rail as well as an ollie on the roof and an ollie to tail grab off the house.

 

Laurie Blouin (CAN) was the only girl in the field who got close with a 90.50. However, US riders Karly Shorr (84.75) and Jessika Jenson (84.50) as well as Zoe Sadowski Synnott (NZL; 81.75) also impressed the judges getting over the 80's.

 

Isabel Derungs (SUI; 79.25), Yuka Fujimori (JPN; 72.25) and Brooke Voigt (CAN; 71.50) also survived the qualifier cut making it into the finals of the top-8.

 

In the men's event, Garcia Knight, a 19-year old Kiwi who is attending his first ever FIS Snowboard World Championships, proofed some nerves of steel throwing down a superb second run after he couldn't bring things together in his first one.

 

Garcia Knight landed a backside double cork 1080 mute to rodeo 540 indy, switch backside double cork 1260 and a frontside 1080 before throwing down a 50-50 and a boardslide 270 out to score a 94.25.

 

In heat 1, it was Mans Hedberg (SWE) being given a 90.25 with Ville Paumola (FIN; 88.00), Seppe Smits (BEL; 86.00), Clemens Schattschneider (AUT; 82.00), Niklas Mattsson (SWE; 77.50), Fridtjof Tischendorf (NOR; 77.25), Sebbe de Buck (BEL; 74.00) and Dylan Thomas (USA; 71.75) also making it to the finals.

 

The 16 male finalists were rounded out by Tiarn Collins (NZL; 88.75), Chris Corning (USA; 84.00), Nicolas Huber (SUI; 79.25), Francis Jobin (CAN; 73.75), Rene Rinnekangas (FIN; 73.00), Billy Morgan (GBR; 72.00) and Vlad Khadarin (RUS; 68.50) placing as respective second to seventh in heat 2.

 

The finals are scheduled for Saturday, March 11 at 12 PM CET.

 

The world championships will continue tomorrow with the halfpipe and snowboard cross qualifiers.

 

 

Full Qualifications Results Men and Women

 

 

[hckošice 14,807]

FIS SNOWBOARDING

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

 

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World champs lead the way after halfpipe qualifiers

 

Reigning world champions Xuetong Cai (CHN) and Scotty James (AUS) have notched the biggest scores in today's qualifiers for the Sierra Nevada 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships snowboard halfpipe event.

 

However, the pack will be reshuffled for tomorrow's finals when riders get ready to battle for gold under the lights in Spain.

 

In fact, a fierce battle for the world championships title is to expect with nearly all the top competitors having it made into the finals of the best 6 women and 10 men, with no rider clearly dominating the field today.

 

Especially the girls were on fire under a blue bird sky and temperatures around 10 degrees – which actually forced several fans at the bottom of the halfpipe to watch the entertaining show with their t-shirts off – throwing down runs which gave the judges a hard day of work.

 

In the end, Cai impressed the most with a frontside 540 to backside 540 as well as back-to-back 720's and a stylish alley oop indy to finish things off earning a score of 94.75.

 

2013 world champion Arielle Gold (USA) came close with a 92.50 for her backside rodeo 540 to crippler 540 indy, backside 540 tail and back-to-back 720's.

 

In addition, with Maddie Mastro another US girl looked strong after throwing down a frontside 900 tail to backside air seatbelt grab, crippler 540 indy, backside 540 mute and a frontside 720 mute being given a 92.00.

 

2015 bronze medallist Clemence Grimal (FRA) and Haruna Matsumoto (JPN) also proceeded to the finals with strong scores of 91.25 and 88.75 respectively.

 

Hikaru Oe (JPN) took the final spot with a 83.75 edging off Jiayu Liu (CHN), one of the top favourites for the podium, to the seventh rank with the tiny advantage of 0.75.

 

Over in the men's event, Scotty James kept the momentum from his recent results topping the men's field with a score of 92.25.

 

The 22-year-old 2017 World Cup title winner underlined his claim for a back-to-back title win by landing a backside 900 mute to frontside double cork 1080 stale, a cab double cork 1080 mute and a frontside 900 melon.

 

Compared to his competitors, his run might have featured only for hits, but all four were clean and well executed whilst coming along with a massive air time the tall athlete is known for.

 

But make sure to watch out for Yiwei Zhang (CHN; 90.00) and Olympic bronze medallist Taku Hiraoka (JPN; 87.25), who qualified as respective second and third.

 

Both definitely have what it takes to deny James his second consecutive title.

 

While the Chinese top gun, the first to ever land a triple cork in the pipe, started his run off with a backside air to back-to-back double cork 1080's, a double crippler indy and a final backside 900 tail, Hiraoka stomped a frontside 1080 tail to cab double cork 1080 mute, crippler indy, backside 900 mute and a frontside double cork 1080 stale.

 

But there are even more heavy hitters set to give it a shot for gold, silver and bronze.

 

While Louie Vito (USA; 84.75) was the fourth best qualifiers, Patrick Burgener (SUI; 82.50) led the whole Swiss squad to the finals featuring the likes of Jan Scherrer (82.25), Olympic champion Iouri Podladtchikov (81.00) and David Habluetzel (79.50) once again underlining that Switzerland is definitely one of the top two halfpipe countries right now.

 

Markus Malin (FIN; 76.50) and Ryan Wachendorfer (USA; 76.00) also earned their spots in the finals which is slated to take place tomorrow night at 8 PM CET with quite a bunch of TV stations ready to broadcast the showdown for the 2017 halfpipe world championships title live.

 

For further information on the TV times click here.

 

In case you cannot watch the finals, here are the links for live scoring of the women's and men's competition.

 

 

Full Qualifications Results Men and Women

 

 

[hckošice 14,807]

FIS SNOWBOARDING

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

 

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Olympic champions post best times

 

2014 Olympic Winter Games gold medallists Eva Samkova (CZE) and Pierre Vaultier (FRA) are looking strong and confident to earn their career's first SBX world championships medals at the Sierra Nevada 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships.

 

Both athletes had the strongest legs on the technical course built by David Ny, Alberto Schiavon and a local shaper crew which had put together a demanding track asking for a lot of staying power, a smart line choice and a mindset 100 % focused on the riding.

 

With one feature leading straight into the next one, the course simply didn't allow for any lack of attention as misjudging could easily lead to being spat out of the course before even knowing it as two-time world champion Alex Pullin (AUS) had named it in an interview on the eve of the qualifiers.

 

In fact, several snowboarders had to learn it the hard way whilst going for a spot in the finals which will feature the top-24 women and top-48 men on Sunday at 12 PM CET.

 

But before it was time for the time trials today, mother nature had caused some troubles over night.

 

After heavy gusts of wind had destroyed the whole construction at the top of the course, the local crew had to re-built the start again. But with the workers being fully committed to bringing all things back in place in time, things finally kicked off with the men's qualifiers under a blue bird sky.

 

And Pierre Vaultier, who didn't have a good start to the season but was able to build up quite some momentum in the recent World Cup races, lived up to the expectations clocking in an incredible time of 1:09.15 on the 1,117 metres long course.

 

The father of one therefore was more than one second faster than the rest of the field – well, with one exception.

 

Local favourite Lucas Eguibar (ESP), who was sidelined from action at his home soil World Cup event in La Molina last weekend due to an injury, came close with a 1:09.36.

 

The rest of the men's field, at least the top-13, posted times ranging from 1:10.55 to 1:11.05 – a time difference which promises some exciting heats of six for next Sunday.

 

Over in the women's event, things were looking quite similar, however, with the top four ladies being even more close together.

 

Samkova, like Vaultier still having a world champs medal on her bucket list, blasted down the course in a superb time of 1:14.61, closely followed by US superstar Lindsey Jacobellis (1:14.86).

 

The four-time world champion has been improving her start game over the past weeks, a fact which played in her hands on a start section which might be the most challenging of the season so far now sniffing the chance to becoming the second snowboarder in history with five world championships titles to her belt.

 

By now, Karine Ruby (FRA) is still the most decorated snowboarder at world championships with six gold medals.

 

However, Michela Moioli (ITA) and Faye Gulini (USA), could still straddle in between as both were timed with a 1:15.25 and therefore the only two more girls to stay below the 1:16 minutes mark therefore becoming strong contenders for the podium, too.

 

Nevertheless, Jacobellis has won every world championships SBX event she has attended – another mouth-watering ingredient for an action-packed final in two days.

 

 

Full Qualifications Results Men and Women

 

 

[Federer91 2,788]

That mud snow on the slopestyle course... 

[OlympicsFan 858]

What is the sense of hosting world championships, if pretty much all of the best athletes are missing? In mens slopestyle none of those guys would have come close to the podium if all the best athletes would have competed. Its a complete joke, this gold medal has absolutely no meaning. Pretty much the same is true for womens slopestyle/halfpipe and mens halfpipe. In addition to that the course is a joke, it looked as if they built the course in the desert ... at this point they could as well give the world championships to Qatar. I think they should split the world championships up, the same way they do it at junior level: Snowboard cross/parallel giant slalom and freestyle skiing cross somewhere in Europe. Snowboard big air/halfpipe/slopestyle and freestyle skiing moguls/halfpipe/aerials/slopestyle in the US/Canada/China/Japan or maybe Switzerland (Laax).

I dont know whether its possible, but it would be extremely cool if they would host the alpine skiing world championships and the snowboard cross/parallel giant slalom/freestyle skiing cross world championships in one place at the same time.

[Jur 683]

What a shame Spain is just having a heat wave in March the same day's the world championships are happening.

[Jur 683]

1 hour ago, OlympicsFan said:

What is the sense of hosting world championships, if pretty much all of the best athletes are missing? In mens slopestyle none of those guys would have come close to the podium if all the best athletes would have competed. Its a complete joke, this gold medal has absolutely no meaning.

Well, the best athletes are missing because they want.

[OlympicsFan 858]

vor einer Stunde schrieb Jur:

Well, the best athletes are missing because they want.

Yeah ... i know that noone took them as hostages and forced them to stay away ...

It has nothing to do with the host, FIS needs to do something about it, obviously the price money isnt big enough. Maybe they can "force" the top athletes to attend by changing the qualification pathway for the olympics. If you want to compete at the olympics, you have to compete at the world championships (of course unless you are injured at that time). If you win gold at the world championships you get 1000 points for the olympic ranking, if you win a normal world cup you get 50 points ... something like that. So everyone who wants to compete at the olympics either has to compete at the world championships or has to win pretty much all world cups between the two olympics, because otherwise he/she wont collect enough points to qualify for the olympics. I know that you cant force the athletes to compete at the world championships, but i think you can make it impossible/extremely difficult for them to qualify for the olympics, if they dont compete at the world championships. I think another big problem is that the world championships are so close to the X Games. FIS should host the world championships much earlier, in January or maybe even December, so that the best athletes dont have to choose between those two events. Currently none of the top athletes should choose the world championships over the X Games, if he/she is in his/her right mind.

Edited March 11, 2017 by OlympicsFan

[hckošice 14,807]

FIS SNOWBOARDING

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

 

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Men's Slopestyle
Final Results

 

SMITS Seppe
91.40F

 

HUBER Nicolas
83.25F

 

CORNING Chris
82.50F

 

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Women's Slopestyle
Final Results

 

BLOUIN Laurie
78.00F

 

SADOWSKI SYNNOTT Zoi
77.50F

 

ONITSUKA Miyabi
77.40F

 

 

Blouin and Smits win slopestyle Gold at world champs

 

 

 

Laurie Blouin (CAN) and Seppe Smits (BEL) have claimed the first snowboard titles of the Sierra Nevada 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships coming out successful of the slopestyle finals this afternoon.

 

However, a blue bird sky and warm temperatures made it hard for the best eight women and 16 men of Thursday's qualifiers to land their runs as they were struggling with the challenging course conditions.

 

With landing a clean run on the soft and slushy surface being the key to success, the Canadian as well as Belgium rider finally put things together in the second run of the two runs best one count finals to walk away with the precious titles.

 

Blouin scored a 78.00 to earn her career's first gold in what might have been the closest finish of a slopestyle final in the recent years.

 

The 2013 junior world champion, who was sitting in fifth position after run one, got technical going for the title throwing down a switch backside 180 indy to frontside 540 indy, a cab double cork 900 mute and a backside 360 melon on the four-jump line before finishing things off with a backside air and a 50-50 frontside 180 out in the jibbing section.

 

The 20-year-old therefore edged off teenage slopestyle sensation Zoi Sadowski Synnott (NZL, 77.50) and dethroned champion Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN, 77,40) to the respective second and third rank.

 

 

“I'm pretty happy. It's been just an incredible week here. The weather has been on our side. It's super fun, I'm happy.

 

I didn't expect it. You don't want to be too sure of yourself. But I worked so hard, and that just proofed me that the work that I did was worth it,” Blouin said following her walk through the mixed zone.

 

But the French Canadian couldn't explain what made the difference to edge of her rival from down under from the top spot with a tiny advantage of only 0.5: “I can't tell. I'm bad in judging.”

 

However, runner-up Sadowski Synnott was also pleased with the result as making it to the finals had already been a huge success for the Kiwi who had traveled to Spain with the first full World Cup season under her belt.

 

“I'm just stoked to put down a run. I was happy to get into finals, because it was top-8 already. Yeah, 0.5 are missing to the title but I'm just so happy to be on the podium,” the youngest rider in the women's competition who had just turned 16 last week stated after a switch backside 540 indy to frontside 360 tuck knee, backside 360 indy, double wildcat indy, frontside 180 to cab 180 and ollie to 50-50 frontside 180 out had secured her the Silver, having scored only 0.10 more than 2015 world champion Onitsuka.

 

Over in the men's event, Seppe Smits once again delivered a perfect proof of being one of the strongest contest machines out there.

 

Competing under the watchful eyes of King Felipe VI. Smits repeated his 2011 win he had also claimed on Spanish soil (La Molina) with a score of 91.40 relegating Nicolas Huber (SUI; 83.25) and Chris Corning (USA; 82.50) to the respective second and third rank.

 

After a failure at the first rail had cost him a good score in run one, the first ever FIS slopestyle world champion capitalised on his experience and focused on what he had to do – and just did it:

 

A backside double cork 1080 nose to frontside 900 mute (on side hit of the second kicker), a switch backside double cork 1080 mute, cab 1260 stalefish, backside 450 off and a switch ollie to half 50-50 to backside 360 off to finish things off might not have been the most difficult run of the men's finals, but truly one with huge amplitude and superb execution – something judges always look out for.

 

But Smits wouldn't be Smits if he wouldn't have known: “It's crazy. I didn't expect it. I was trying to put a clean run together. It probably wasn't the hardest run we have seen today but I managed to bring it down pretty clean after I was struggling a bit in my first run on the first rail. When I got this one in my second one I was like 'OK. Get it now!'”

 

And everyone could see in the finish area – although some hundred metres away from the last feature, a rail section built after the theme of an Andalusian village – how a huge pressure was literally falling off his shoulders.

 

The 25-year-old who also has three big air world champs medals to his belt already clenched his fists and took a deep breath as he instantly understood that his run could earn him a medal despite the fact that he wasn't in the best physical conditions:

 

“I had a pretty nasty slam this morning. So I have been riding pretty soar all day, and then to land that run was just such a relief. It was crazy.”

 

 

In the end, it was the rider from the flat lands of Belgium taking his second world championships title while another rider came from hero to zero.

 

Nicolas Huber, a former park shaper in Corvatsch, had just sneaked into the Swiss team for the world championships although he wasn't part of the national team before.

 

Switzerland's Head Coach Pepe Ragazzi explained: “We wanted to bring the best Swiss riders, not the best four from the national team. So we did a qualifier in Laax, and he made the team. And he sure will make the national team now.”

 

Nevertheless, being a blank paper before entering his first ever world championships with only one World Cup start under his belt dating back to January at the LAAX OPEN, Huber was probably most surprised of his performance.

 

After leading the men's finals after run one thanks to a double cork 900 rodeo melon to cab 900 mute, frontside 1080 tail, backside triple cork 1440 melon, frontside 180 up to cab 360 and an ollie to frontside 50-50 to frontside 360 out, he didn't know where he was ranked before dropping in for his second run.

 

Actually, the 22-year-old goofy rider was thinking that the other boys would have definitely kicked him out of the top-3. But when he arrived in front of the sponsor wall in the finish he noticed his score and a beaming smile as well as pure joy took over control of him:

 

“It's unbelievable. I still can't believe what just happened. When I came down after my second run, I was still in first and I was thinking 'Man, there has to be a mistake on the screen'. I'm super happy that I made it on the podium.”

 

Chris Corning, the only one of the finals to land back-to-back 1440's rounded out the podium as third, being also happy about his performance after he had struggled not only with the soft conditions today but also with several injuries this season:

 

“It was hard to work through as it was pretty soft. But I'm happy. After all my injuries I had to battle through this season, it feels pretty awesome to bring home a medal. Glad to win some money because it cost a lot of money to come here.”

 

The 12^th FIS Snowboard World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain continue tonight with the halfpipe finals starting at 8 PM CET which are broadcasted live in several countries. Click here for an update on the TV times.

 

 

 

Full Finals Results Men and Women

 

Laurie Blouin

2017 Womens Slopestyle World Champion

and

Seppe Smits

2017 Mens Slopestyle World Champion

 

 

[hckošice 14,807]

FIS SNOWBOARDING

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

 

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Men's Halfpipe
Final Results

 

JAMES Scotty
97.50F

 

PODLADTCHIKOV Iouri
93.25F

 

BURGENER Patrick
90.50F

 

 

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Women's Halfpipe
Final Results

 

CAI Xuetong
90.75F

 

MATSUMOTO Haruna
84.75F

 

GRIMAL Clemence
79.00F

 

 

Defending champions keep hold to their titles

 

Xuetong Cai (CHN) and Scotty James (AUS) have successfully defended their halfpipe world championships title at the Sierra Nevada 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships under the lights in the early Spanish night.

 

And it was a night to remember as the top 6 women and 10 men of Friday's qualifiers not only pulled of a great show but also as things wrapped up with a historic result, too. For the first time ever, both defending champions were able to repeat their titles earned two years ago.

 

In fact, Scotty James became the first male rider ever to pull off this feat. And the 22-year-old from down under had to fight hard for it as he had to face some fierce competition.

 

However, James who had descended on Andalusia with a huge confidence boost having won the Olympic test event in South Korea a few weeks ago as well as the halfpipe World Cup title, had paved his road to a title defence in his first run scoring a massive 95.75.

 

But being the last to drop in in each run, he witnessed that his rivals were giving in everything they had to bump him off the top spot. As a result, James fired one off in his second run adding even more amplitude to his clean and well-executed frontside 900 to backside 1260, frontside double cork 1080 and cab double cork 1080.

 

A smart move as fans and judges alike were wowed, and James given a 97.50 which secured him his career's second in style ahead of Olympic champion Iouri Podladtchikov (SUI; 93.25) and Pat Burgener (SUI; 90.50).

 

“I did it again, I'm super stoked. It's been such an awesome event here, such different conditions for us to ride, and I think all of us have been really liking it. I came out with a plan just to work really hard this week and finish off well, and I'm very happy to come home with the Gold,” he recapped his week in Spain.

 

As if there wouldn't have been enough reps already, the dominating rider of the season also had the time to repeat his victory lap of 2015 when he stopped his run by sliding down on the coping and high-fiving with the fans along the pipe.

 

“You know, it's one of those things you always think about but you don't know what you do when the time comes.

 

And I remembered my victory lap from Kreischberg, and I appreciate the fans coming out here and watching us and getting pretty cold. So, I do whatever I can do to say thank you to all this people who come out to watch.”

 

However, there was one rider who almost would have ruined this moment almost every athlete is dreaming off: Iouri Podladtchikov.

 

The world champion of 2013 had also set his claim for another Gold trying to improve his score when he needed it the most.

 

But after nailing a massive mc twist 1260 to back-to-back double cork 1080s the Swiss superstar couldn't land his alley oop double rodeo whilst also suffering a slight knee injury.

 

“My right knee hurts a little bit, but I think it's middle bad. It could cost me a few weeks though. I think it would have been enough to beat Scotty [James]. I was on course, but I was getting excited about it too early.

 

So, I'm thinking 'Mhhhhh!' But you know what, you must not be unhappy about Silver,” iPod stated following the official medal ceremony which was staged right in the finish zone.

 

Over in the women's event, Cai tied on to where she had wrapped up things in the qualifiers yesterday: dominating the competition.

 

The Chinese ripper started her run off with a huge air to fakie before nailing a cab 720, back-to-back 540's and a sweet frontside 720 to finish things off claiming the precious Gold with a score of 90.75.

 

“I'm so excited,” she said. “There are no other words. I'm just so happy. I had one run in mind, and I put it down. That was the goal for the day.”

 

A goal which made her the second ever woman to repeat a halfpipe world championships title since Doriane Vidal (FRA) who had prevailed back in 2001, 2003 and 2005.

 

Haruna Matsumoto (JPN; 84.75) and 2015 bronze medallist Clemence Grimal (FRA; 79.00) rounded out the podium as respective second and third.

 

 

The 12^th FIS Snowboard World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain continue tomorrow with the snowboard cross finals starting at 12 PM CET. Several TV stations will broadcast the knock out rounds staged in heats of 6 live. Click here for an update on the TV times.

 

 

 

 

Full Finals Results Men and Women

 

Cai Xuetong

2017 Halfpipe Womens World Champion

and

Scotty James

2017 Halfpipe Mens World Champion