Guseli snatches back-to-back Crystal Globes after bronze in final event
Published Sun 24 Mar 2024
Words: OWIA / Images: FIS
Australian teen snowboard prodigy Valentino Guseli has recorded his first slopestyle podium of the season at the perfect time, with his bronze medal performance snatching the overall park and pipe Crystal Globe in a dramatic final day of the season in Silvaplana, Switzerland.
The overall park and pipe Crytal Globe includes results from halfpipe, big air and slopestyle and heading into the final day of competition for the season, Guseli needed to finish well ahead of Japanese rider Ryoma Kimata who had a significant lead in the standings, to defend the historic title he won last year as a 17-year-old.
In qualifying, Kimata had his worst performance of the season finishing in 50th, with Gueli advancing to the final in first place, which meant he would need to finish in fourth place or better to snatch the Crystal Globe.
In the best of two fun final, Guseli had two consistent runs, opening with a score of 77.31, and then improved in the second run, receiving a score of 83.77 points from the judges to give him the bronze medal and enough points to secure back-to-back overall Crystal Globes.
Ahead of Gueli on the podium was Canadian Liam Brearley on 88.10 points and Taiga Hasegawa of Japan with a best score of 88.52 points.
Guseli now has nine career World Cup medals competing in the three park and pipe disciplines of halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air, and three Crystal Globes.
“I am super stoked with the way today went, in my second run I landed one of the best runs of my life” said the 18-year-old from Dalmeny on the NSW South Coast.
“Got on the podium and got the globe, which was my main goal, and from my side I don’t think today could have gone much better, I am super proud of my performance.”
“To win the overall, which means to be the most consistent out of all three freestyle disciplines, I am honoured to have won it for the second year in a row.”
“This season has been an interesting one, there has been lots of ups and downs, but I definitely feel like I have learned a lot this year, and I am super happy with where my snowboarding is right now.”
Silvaplana and nearby St Moritz will host the 2024 Snowboard and Freestyle World Championships, with the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games now less than two years away.
