Australia Off To A Flyer At Winter Olympics As Snowboarder Valentino Guseli Nails Final Jump

Young weapon Valentino Guseli has nailed his past jump to clinch a spot successful nan finals of nan Olympic snowboard large aerial arena aft only being fixed a commencement erstwhile different jock withdrew.

The 20-year-old went ample connected his 3rd and last jump astatine Livigno’s Snow Park and scored a 91.50 to cement nan past spot successful nan 12-man final. After scoring 73.25 connected his first tally and 71.50 connected his second, Guseli knew he needed thing typical to suffice into nan last connected Sunday (0530 AEDT).

With competitors successful large aerial launching disconnected a ramp built connected scaffolding that rises much than 50 metres supra nan course, Guseli soared and spun earlier nailing his landing. He threw his snowboard into nan aerial successful delight astatine securing nan adjacent second-best people of nan day, pinch a mixed full of 163.0.

Hiroto Ogiwara led a three-man Japanese onslaught successful nan section pinch a apical people of 178.5 points, while 3 New Zealanders – Lyon Farrell, Rocco Jamieson and Dane Menzies – besides made nan cut.

Ogiwara smashed nan grounds books for snowboarding astatine nan 2025 Aspen X Games erstwhile he landed nan first 2340-degree jump (six-and-a-half rotations) successful competition. Home favourite Ian Matteoli was 2nd successful qualifying pinch 174.5 points, giving nan Italian fans a logic to cheer.

Valentino Guseli flies done nan aerial connected his 3rd run. Photograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters

Guseli was fixed nan astonishment honour of being nan first Australian to compete astatine nan Milan-Cortina Olympics aft being granted a commencement into nan arena connected nan time of competition.

He had ambitions of competing successful 3 events successful Italy – large air, slopestyle and halfpipe – but grounded to suffice for nan first 2 aft injuring his ACL successful precocious 2024.

Guseli is still considered a beardown badge chance successful nan halfpipe aft winning a World Cup arena successful Calgary and placing sixth astatine nan Beijing Olympics, wherever he made his debut.

Australia’s Torah Bright became nan first personification to compete successful 3 snowboard disciplines astatine a azygous Olympics erstwhile she lined up astatine Sochi successful 2014 successful nan halfpipe, slopestyle and snowboard cross, winning metallic successful nan halfpipe.

As first reserve, Guseli sewage nan motion for nan large aerial pursuing nan withdrawal of Canadian Mark McMorris owed to injury. Qualification for large aerial and slopestyle are linked but Guseli isn’t guaranteed a commencement successful slopestyle pinch McMorris fixed nan opportunity to retrieve and compete.

The Canadian seasoned was carried disconnected connected stretcher aft he collapsed during training successful Livigno, pinch competitors successful large aerial launching disconnected a ramp built connected scaffolding that rises much than 50 metres supra nan course.