Australian Institute of Sport / NSW Institute of Sport riders Nathan Johnstone and Kent Callister both qualified for the prestigious snowboard halfpipe US Grand Prix finals in Breckenridge, Colorado, over the weekend but Mother Nature unfortunately trumped their performances.
More than 20 centimetres of fresh snow and wild winds forced organisers to cancel the event, which was also the third of five trial events for American athletes wanting a place in the US Olympic Winter Games team competing in Sochi, Russia, next month.
The damage to the pipe caused by the extreme weather conditions made competition unsafe.
AIS snowboard halfpipe coach Ben Alexander said that he and the athletes were disappointed that conditions had not enabled Johnstone and Callister to continue their strong showing in the qualification session.
“It’s a shame because the guys were in the mix,” Alexander said.
In addition to the confidence gained from making the final, Johnstone was within reach of matching the qualification score of Shaun White, regarded by many as the best in the world.
More than 20 centimetres of fresh snow and wild winds forced organisers to cancel the event, which was also the third of five trial events for American athletes wanting a place in the US Olympic Winter Games team competing in Sochi, Russia, next month.
The damage to the pipe caused by the extreme weather conditions made competition unsafe.
AIS snowboard halfpipe coach Ben Alexander said that he and the athletes were disappointed that conditions had not enabled Johnstone and Callister to continue their strong showing in the qualification session.
“It’s a shame because the guys were in the mix,” Alexander said.
In addition to the confidence gained from making the final, Johnstone was within reach of matching the qualification score of Shaun White, regarded by many as the best in the world.
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