The first medal event of the Winter Games NZ FIS Park & Pipe Junior World Championships presented by La Roche Posay and Cardrona went down yesterday on Big Bucks slopestyle course.
16-year-old Kiwi snowboarder Lucia Georgalli became the first New Zealander to ever win a snowboard Junior World Championship title, claiming the snowboard slopestyle gold medal.
Immediately after her run Lucia said, “It feels amazing, pretty cool to get my runs down and I am so stoked. I didn’t know if I was going to do a chill second run or step up my run, but I decided to go for a new competition run and I landed it.”
Lucia took a convincing lead with her first run, which remained the top scoring run throughout the finals, until she topped her own score. Dropping into her second run Lucia knew she had secured the title, but rather than taking a victory lap she showed her competitive mindset and upped her run. She scored a 91.00, putting her over 10 points ahead of her nearest competitor.
Her run consisted of technical switch rail tricks in the top section, then a solid jump section that included three different 720 rotations, scoring highly on the variety and difficulty scale.
Fanny Chiesa Piantanida of Italy claimed the silver medal and Ally Hickman of Australia rounded out the podium in third.
Dane Menzies and Cam Melville Ives represented New Zealand in the men’s snowboard slopestyle finals, finishing in 8th and 10th respectively.
After an exciting morning, the action continued with the Freeski Slopestyle Junior World Championship finals in the afternoon, with Mischa Thomas, Madeleine Disbrowe and Taylor Breen dropping into the women’s final.
The Kiwi women fought hard, with Mischa Thomas claiming the bronze medal, joining Muriel Mohr of Germany in first and Flora Tabanelli of Italy in second on the podium.
This was Thomas’ first FIS event, and she was over the moon with her results; “My day went really well, I am really happy with how I skied. Coming third means a lot at the Junior World Champs, the feeling is indescribable. The support from the Kiwi’s has been amazing.”
Madeleine Disbrowe finished in fourth position and Taylor Breen in tenth.
Freeski judge Victoria Beattie described just how high the level of competition was today and how impressed the judges were with all the skiers.
Fin Melville Ives represented New Zealand in the men’s freeski finals, finishing in seventh place.
New Zealand’s biggest ever Junior World Championship team will be in action again on Friday, with the Freeski Big Air Junior World Champs qualifications.
8 months ago