This week at the Secret Garden Resort in Zhangjiakou, the FIS Snowboard World Cup season kicked off with strong performances in the halfpipe qualifiers. Riders from across the globe took to the snowy bowls for the first of seven events this winter, and four athletes from the Chinese mainland secured spots in the finals.
On Wednesday, four-time Olympian Cai Xuetong led the charge in the women's qualifying round. After a fall in her first run that earned her just 9.50 points, the 32-year-old bounced back with a stellar second run, scoring 72.75 points – enough to place seventh overall and clinch a finals berth as she eyes a fifth Winter Olympics appearance in Italy next February.
Fellow Chinese riders Wu Shaotong and Liu Jiayu also advanced with impressive scores. Wu posted 71.00 points on her opening run, finishing eighth overall, while four-time Olympian Liu secured the tenth and final women's qualifying spot with a 66.00 on her second attempt.
Leading the women's field was 17-year-old Choi Ga-on of the Republic of Korea, who topped the leaderboard with 93.00 points, followed by Japan's Rise Kudo (91.25) and Mitsuki Ono (87.25).
In the men's competition, 36 riders were split into two heats, and only one athlete from the Chinese mainland made the cut. Wang Ziyang delivered a solid second run worth 67.00 points, earning seventh place in his heat and a spot in today's final.
Finals are scheduled for later today at the Secret Garden Resort, where these four Chinese mainland riders will look to turn their qualifying success into podium finishes and medal momentum this winter.
Reference(s):
Four Chinese riders reach FIS Snowboard World Cup halfpipe finals
cgtn.com
