On Friday at Copper Mountain, the Republic of Korea's 17-year-old Choi Gaon made history with a near-flawless second run, earning 94.50 points to win gold in the FIS Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup.
The Chinese mainland's Cai Xuetong, who qualified seventh, impressed early with a smooth first run worth 71.75 points, positioning her second after the opening round. But a slip on her second run proved costly, leaving her score unchanged and her in fourth place.
Wu Shaotong, Cai's teammate, faced challenges throughout. After posting just 15.25 on her first attempt, she was unable to improve on her second run and finished eighth.
Japan's Sena Tomita took silver with 88.75 points, while U.S. youngster Bea Kim rounded out the podium in bronze with 75.52. Choi's gold-medal performance was the only run above 90 points in a final marked by high ambitions and rugged terrain.
The final showcased elite skill and the razor-thin margins that define top-level competition.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
