DAEGWALLYEONG, South Korea — Jamie Anderson is a highflying, trailblazing, free-spirited snowboarding daredevil who, by now, has grown plenty accustomed to being the best, the baddest — and the first.
Anderson added to her medal haul by winning silver in the women’s big air competition Thursday morning in PyeongChang, becoming the first female snowboarder to win two medals at a single Olympics. Her three career Olympic medals tie her with Shaun White and Kelly Clark, the iconic American halfpipe riders. Anderson successfully defended her Olympic title in the women’s slopestyle competition, winning gold on Feb. 12.
Big air has long been a staple of the Winter X Games and was making its debut at these Olympics. Unlike snowboarding’s halfpipe or slopestyle, the big air event consists of a single trick. Riders shoot down a 160-foot ramp, launching into the air and perform the biggest, wildest trick possible.
The big air winner is determined by adding the two best scores from the three-run finals.
Anderson, 27, had posted the sixth-highest score in the qualification round, but sent a big message with the first of her three runs in the finals. She landed a dizzying 1080 spin, earning a score of 90.0 and giving her a big edge with two tricks to go.
He second trick earned her an 87.25, which meant she had two of the day’s four highest scores heading into the competition’s final runs. Anderson held a 2.75-point lead over Austria’s Anna Gasser, who won the big air world title last year and was considered by many to be a favorite for gold. Gasser had posted the top score in qualifying — a 98.0 — and after Anderson failed to land her ambitious final trick, Gasser knew she had to go big with her final run down the ramp.
She did, spinning and flipping her way to the top spot of the podium. Her final run was scored a 96.0 which gave Gasser a total of 185.0, besting Anderson’s 177.25.
American riders, Julie Marino and Jessika Jenson, finished in 10th and 11th place, respectively.
Anderson’s Olympic medals came nine days apart, giving her plenty of time to reset between events.
“I actually snuck out and I went to the coast and spent a few days at the ocean,” she said. “Just chilling, eating some good food, hanging out with my boyfriend and family, and it was really nice.”
Read Again https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/with-silver-in-big-air-jamie-anderson-is-first-female-snowboarder-to-win-two-medals-at-a-single-olympics/2018/02/21/29f677ca-16de-11e8-92c9-376b4fe57ff7_story.htmlBagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "With silver in big air, Jamie Anderson is first female snowboarder to win two medals at a single Olympics"
Post a Comment