Guseli wins first World Cup halfpipe gold
Published Mon 12 Feb 2024
Courtesy OWIA & FIS
Australian teen snowboard prodigy Valentino Guseli has recorded his first careerHalfpipe World Cup victory in the halfpipe event, with an impressive gold medal performance in Canada.
The 18-year-old led the final from start to finish, opening with an 89.25 point run before improving his score to 91.50.
When no other riders were able to match Guseli’s scores from the first two runs, Guseli was able to complete a “victory lap” in the third and final run celebrating with the large crowd on his way down the Calgary halfpipe.
Behind Guseli on the 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.
Guseli now has eight career World Cup medals across the three park and pipe disciplines of halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air, with one victory so far in each of the halfpipe and big air disciplines.
“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 NSW South Coast.
“The pipe was great, the snow was great, and the crowd was great, my favourite thing is when there is a massive crowd out to support us.
“Today was a good day, I landed all of my runs, and I am happy.”
Dual Olympic medallist and triple World Champion Scotty James tweaked his knee during training at the event and withdrew before the qualifying round.
The final World Cup halfpipe rankings for the season has Hirano of Japan in first place on 300 points, Guseli second on 230, and James one point behind in third on 229.
In the women’s event two-time Olympian Emily Arthur finished eighth in the final.
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.
