Oh what a night in Calgary, Canada as Aussie teen snowboarder, Valentino Guseli, takes his first career victory with gold at the halfpipe FIS World Cup event.
The 18 year old started his first of three runs with an opening score of 89.25, went 2.25 better with 91.50 in his second run and when no other riders came close to that score, took a victory lap on his third run.
This is his eighth career World Cup podium across halfpipe, slopestyle and big air. Calgary’s win secured him second place overall for the 23/24 FIS WC Halfpipe season. He currently sits second on the overall park and pipe leaderboard and could walk away with the Crystal Globe with two more events to to.
Behind Guseli on the Calgary podium were Japanese riders Ruka Hirano in second place with a best score of 88.25 points, and Shuichiro Shigeno in third on 86.75 points.
“I really do like Canada, the two wins I have had in a World Cup are in Canada, and I am super happy,” said the 2023 World Championship medallist from Dalmeny on the New South Wales South Coast.
“Today was a good day, I landed all of my runs, and I am happy.”
How did the most laid back champ in snowboarding celebrate? By doing an Aussie shoe-ey of course.
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- Valentino Guseli. Photo credit: FIS Snowboarding
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- Valentino Guseli. Photo credit: FIS Snowboarding
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- Valentino Guseli. Photo credit: FIS Snowboarding
Dual Olympic medallist and triple World Champion Scotty James tweaked his knee during training at the event and withdrew before the qualifying round.
Guseli will now turn his attention to the slopestyle discipline, with World Cup events taking place in Spindleruv Mlyn in the Czech Republic on March 16 and Silvaplana in St Moritz, Switzerland, on March 23.
