Reigning half pipe snowboard world champion Holly Crawford earned a fighting second place in the opening World Cup event of the 2011/2012 season, which kicked off today at Cardona, on New Zealand's south island.
The Australian Institute of Sport / NSW Institute of Sport rider finished behind China's Xuetong Cai, with Switzerland's Ursina Haller filling the other podium position in the only World Cup event to be held in the southern hemisphere this season.
The second place was Crawford's 16th time on a World Cup podium from 31 starts.
After winning her heat and in doing so setting up automatic qualification for the final, Crawford's impressive first run put herself within reach of starting the season with a victory.
However, Cai, who narrowly prevented Crawford from grabbing the world number one ranking at the end of last season's World Cup, has clearly prepared well in her lead up and recorded a slightly higher first run score.
The Australian fought back with a better second run than her Chinese rival, including well executed back-to-back 720s and a front-side 540, but it was just short of escalating Crawford into the top position.
AIS snowboard head coach Ben Wordsworth said that the result was extremely pleasing and it will boost Crawford's confidence for the coming season.
"Today shows Holly should be in for another successful World Cup year," Wordsworth said.
Australia's other half pipe current world champion and fellow AIS / NSWIS rider, Nathan Johnstone, had a day of mixed fortunes, by his lofty standards.
He finished in fourth place behind Finland's Janne Korpi, who recorded his eighth World Cup victory, China's Yiwei Zhang and Dutchman Dimi de Jong.
Johnstone put down a clean first run, although his score suffered slightly when he ran out of pipe.
The 21-year-old AIS / NSWIS rider performed significantly better in the second run but at that stage he was unable to bridge the gap between himself and a place on the podium.
The three athletes finishing above Johnstone displayed more difficult tricks and higher amplitude, which impressed the six judges.
The man who Johnstone finished ahead of last year to secure two World Cup Crystal Globe trophies, and also picked up the world's number one ranking, Japan's Ryo Aono, was disappointed by his 11th place.
Both Crawford and Johnstone will resume on-snow training in Cardona for a week before flying back to Australia for ongoing dry-land preparation for the Grand Prix event at Copper Mountain, Colorado, in the United States, in December.
The Australian Institute of Sport / NSW Institute of Sport rider finished behind China's Xuetong Cai, with Switzerland's Ursina Haller filling the other podium position in the only World Cup event to be held in the southern hemisphere this season.
The second place was Crawford's 16th time on a World Cup podium from 31 starts.
After winning her heat and in doing so setting up automatic qualification for the final, Crawford's impressive first run put herself within reach of starting the season with a victory.
However, Cai, who narrowly prevented Crawford from grabbing the world number one ranking at the end of last season's World Cup, has clearly prepared well in her lead up and recorded a slightly higher first run score.
The Australian fought back with a better second run than her Chinese rival, including well executed back-to-back 720s and a front-side 540, but it was just short of escalating Crawford into the top position.
AIS snowboard head coach Ben Wordsworth said that the result was extremely pleasing and it will boost Crawford's confidence for the coming season.
"Today shows Holly should be in for another successful World Cup year," Wordsworth said.
Australia's other half pipe current world champion and fellow AIS / NSWIS rider, Nathan Johnstone, had a day of mixed fortunes, by his lofty standards.
He finished in fourth place behind Finland's Janne Korpi, who recorded his eighth World Cup victory, China's Yiwei Zhang and Dutchman Dimi de Jong.
Johnstone put down a clean first run, although his score suffered slightly when he ran out of pipe.
The 21-year-old AIS / NSWIS rider performed significantly better in the second run but at that stage he was unable to bridge the gap between himself and a place on the podium.
The three athletes finishing above Johnstone displayed more difficult tricks and higher amplitude, which impressed the six judges.
The man who Johnstone finished ahead of last year to secure two World Cup Crystal Globe trophies, and also picked up the world's number one ranking, Japan's Ryo Aono, was disappointed by his 11th place.
Both Crawford and Johnstone will resume on-snow training in Cardona for a week before flying back to Australia for ongoing dry-land preparation for the Grand Prix event at Copper Mountain, Colorado, in the United States, in December.
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