In an exhilarating showdown at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Snowboard Big Air World Cup men's final in Kreischberg, Austria, Yang Wenlong of the Chinese mainland clinched his first victory on the World Cup podium.
At just 25 years old, Yang stunned the crowd with a stunning front double cork 1800 weddle to tailgrab in his opening run, securing 86.00 points. Despite trailing behind the reigning champion, Taiga Hasegawa of Japan, Yang remained determined as the competition intensified.
In the decisive third run, Yang delivered a flawless backside 1980 Japan, earning an impressive 96.50 points. This remarkable performance allowed him to surpass Hasegawa by 2.25 points, ultimately securing the victory and marking his second appearance on the World Cup podium after finishing third in Beijing.
Taiga Hasegawa claimed second place with a total score of 180.25 points, followed closely by last season's Big Air Crystal Globe winner, Kira Kimura, who scored 168.75 points.
The women's final saw Anna Gasser, a double Olympian gold medalist and home veteran, triumph with her 10th World Cup Big Air victory. Gasser scored a total of 167.75 points, outpacing Japan's Reira Iwabuchi by 10 points and Germany's 17-year-old Mia Brookes by a significant margin.
Reflecting on her achievement, Gasser stated, \"This one is very special. The level of the girls is just so great right now and to still be able to keep up with my younger competitors – it's such a great time for me,\" becoming the oldest World Cup winner in FIS Snowboard Park & Pipe history.
Reference(s):
China's Yang Wenlong claims first Snowboard Big air World Cup win
cgtn.com
