Three-time Olympian Holly Crawford touched down in Korea on Tuesday for what is set to be her fourth Winter Games appearance at PyeongChang 2018.

The 33-year-old Snowboard Halfpipe rider, who already has one gold and two silver World Championship medals under her belt, recently finished seventh at the final pre-Games Halfpipe World Cup in Laax, Switzerland.

After competing under an injury cloud at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Crawford joked upon arrival that heading into PyeongChang she was “thankfully uninjured for the first time in a few years”.

“[I’m] obviously hoping to make the finals but it is what it is and you never know what the outcome is going to be,” she said.

“The pipe actually up there was really good, we were really pleased with that they put up for the test event. They managed it quite well so hopefully they put it on again.”

A seasoned snowboarder, Crawford said that she’s not feeling the nerves heading into the upcoming Games.
“It is what it is,” she said.

“We all compete all year round against the same people.”

Arriving shortly after was fellow teammate and Sochi Olympian Nate Johnstone who also finished within the top ten at the Laax World Cup.

“I’ve been in Japan doing some training and hanging out with my dad for the last week so it’s been really nice and I’m looking forward to it. I’m stoked to be here,” the 27-year-old said.

“I’ve got pretty much the whole family coming this time around so it’s going to be exciting to see them all there.

“Now I’ve got new family because me and my wife have married so her dad, mum and brother are all coming over so it’s going to be the full clan over here for this one – it’s going to be fun!”

Snowboard halfpipe will be held at the Bokwang Snow Park with women's qualifications on Day 3 (February 12) and finals the folowing day. The men’s qualifications runs are on Day 4 (February 13) and the finals on Day 5 (February 14). Find out more about snowboarding at PyeongChang HERE.

David Barden
olympics.com.au

With a run that would have secured him Olympic gold at Sochi 2014, Scotty James has won X-Games silver with a massive score of 98.00

It took an almost perfect score of 99.00 from Sochi silver medallist, Japan’s Ayumu Hirano, to clinch the X Games title in Aspen today.

Dual Olympian James was out to defend his 2017 title at his seventh X-Games appearance, and with his famous red boxing gloves on it was all business for the 23-year-old from the first run.

The 2017 World Champion opened with a perfect frontside and backside 1200 to take an early lead with a score of 96.00. However with three athletes from the small 10-man invitational field scoring above 90 in the opening round, it was still anyone’s game.

19-year-old Hirano went into the lead after the second run with a 96.66 before a massive third and final run saw the two-time X Games medallist put down a virtually untouchable score of 99.00 in what commentators said “was the greatest halfpipe run ever done” in X Games.

If anyone was to top Hirano’s run, it was Aussie James. But even with a perfect run just weeks out from his third Olympic Games at PyeongChang, James’ impressive 98.00 fell one point short of the top spot of the podium and American Ben Ferguson claimed bronze also with an impressive run which scored 95.00 points.

With commentators saying today was the “greatest pipe final they’ve ever seen”, the men’s snowboard halfpipe competition in PyeongChang is set to be one of the most highly anticipated events of the Winter Games next month.

Ashleigh Knight/GeorgiaThompson
olympics.com.au

PYEONGCHANG 2018: Tess Coady and Jessica Rich will make their Olympic debuts at PyeongChang 2018 in the snowboard disciplines of slopestyle and big air.

With quota places for snowboard slopestyle and big air being calculated as one event, the duo have the option to compete in both or one discipline.

17-year-old Coady won back-to-back Junior World Championship titles in both slopestyle and big air at the 2017 event in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic and with a current world ranking of 5th in slopestyle and 22nd in big air, will aim to compete in both events in South Korea.

“It feels pretty crazy to think soon I will be able to say that I am an Olympian,” Coady said.

“It has been a dream of mine since a young age to go to the Olympics but I never knew what sport I would go for. If someone told me when I was eight years-old that I would be going to the Olympics at 17 for snowboard slopestyle I would have laughed.”

The rider from St Kilda, Victoria, will make her Games debut fresh off Australia’s first ever slopestyle World Cup medal; bronze from the Snowmass event in January.

Coady is the youngest member of the 2018 Australian Olympic Winter Team and says she looks to the more experienced athletes for guidance.

“Chumpy Pullin has always been someone I have looked up to from a really young age. His mental game is so strong and it shows in his riding, I think he is really hungry for this Olympics,” she said.

“Scotty James is always super fun to watch especially these past two seasons he has been on a roll and his attitude towards competing is really inspiring.

“The Team that is going is a super cool group of people and I think there will be really good vibes and lots of support for everyone competing and I can’t wait.”

27-year-old Rich has been selected in the 2018 Team subject to medical clearance. Rich is bouncing back from a knee injury but is still determined to wear the green and gold on the slopes of Bokwang Phoenix Park, having chosen to focus solely on the slopestyle event.

The Manly-local burst onto the international scene two years ago when she placed eighth at the Olympic Test Event in PyeongChang in February 2016.

After signing her first professional contract with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia in 2016 she has recorded four top-10 World Cup performances.

The women’s snowboard slopestyle event will be held at Bokwang Phoenix Park with qualification on Day 2 (February 11) and finals on Day 3 (February 13). The big air events will be held at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre with qualifications on Day 10 (February 19) and finals Day 14 (February 23).

Find out more about snowboarding at PyeongChang 2018 HERE.
​
Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE: With seven previous Olympic Games and 22 World Cup and World Championship medals between them, the five athletes selected to represent Australia in snowboard halfpipe at PyeongChang 2018 know what it takes to be the best.

Triple Olympian Holly Crawford will compete at her fourth Games, looking to improve upon her best Olympic result of eighth at Vancouver 2010.

The 33-year-old has one gold and two silver World Championship medals under her belt and recently finished 10th at the 2017 World Championships in Sierra Nevada.

"After a long and bumpy road I am mostly relieved to have officially made the 2018 Olympic Team," Crawford said.

"It is less the Olympic Games itself and more the journey to get there that shapes an athlete. By the time you’re at the Olympics most of the hard work is already done and you just have to let yourself do what you’ve trained to do.

"I am very proud to have been able to represent Australia at the previous three Olympics and every four years I am prouder than the last!"

She will be joined by two-time World Champion and Crystal Globe winner Scotty James.

With two 21st place halfpipe finishes from Vancouver and Sochi, plus a 16th place in snowboard slopestyle from 2010, James said his previous Olympic experiences have made him better prepared for his third Games.

“Having been to two Games and with the benefit of many more international competitions under my belt, I now understand what I have to do to achieve my goals,” the 23-year-old said.

“For me, representing my country in the Olympic Winter Team is the greatest honour that I have ever achieved. I really feed off the support that we give each other as Aussie Team members and the support that we receive from all over Australia.”

Sochi Olympians Kent Callister (22) and Nathan Johnstone (27) will return to the Team for their second Olympic experience.

Callister was the surprise packed of Sochi 2014, finishing ninth as the top ranked Australian in a star-studded field. Johnstone wasn’t too far behind, missing the final by one place to finish 13th on debut.

“I’m very excited to be heading to my second Olympic Games,” Callister said.

“I had a blast riding in Sochi so I’m looking forward to the whole Olympic experience at PyeongChang. I feel very grateful to be going to the Olympics again so I’m going to soak it all in.”

The only debutant in the halfpipe team, Emily Arthur, has also had her fair share of international experience.

The 18-year-old won halfpipe silver at the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Winter Games and placed 15th in snowboard slopestyle.

She recorded a career-best result at the 2017 Secret Garden World Cup in December, qualifying for her first final and finishing in sixth place. She heads into her debut Games with a world ranking of 13th.

“Being selected is the most insane moment of my life!” Arthur said.

“I've wanted to go to the Olympics for as long as I can remember, it's always been in the back of my mind growing up that maybe one day I could go, and I can't believe it’s now a reality.”

Arthur said it will be a dream come true to make her Olympic debut alongside athletes she has admired for years.

“I look up to the older girls on the Australian Team so much, they have really taken me in and been so amazing to me! They are the girls I looked up to when I was young and still do, I know they are going to look after me and definitely make the experience so fun.”

Crawford's advice to all the rookies on the Team is to "be proud and confident in the work they've put in."

"Trust in your ability, we all train and compete all year round and your body knows what it is doing so just let it. Most of all enjoy the ride and take it all in, you’ve earned it!"

Snowboard halfpipe will be held at the Bokwang Snow Park with qualifications on Day 4 (February13). The men’s final is on Day 5 (February 14) and the women’s final is on Day 11 (February 20). Find out more about snowboarding at PyeongChang HERE.

The team of Mitchell Allen, Andrew Burton, Ben Mates, Torah Bright and Holly Crawford made Australia’s snowboard halfpipe Olympic debut at Torino 2006. Bright has won Australia’s two snowboard halfpipe Olympic medals, with gold at Vancouver 2010 and silver at Sochi 2014. Find out more about Australia’s Olympic snowboard history HERE.
​
Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

SKI SLOPESTYLE: Russ Henshaw has been selected for his second Australian Winter Olympic Team in ski slopestyle, subject to medical clearance.

The 27-year-old injured his knee after recording his best result this season, with 16th at the Mammoth World Cup last weekend, but is selected on the 2018 Team with the aim he is given the ‘all clear’ from doctors prior to the Games.

Henshaw was Australia's only male competitor in ski slopestyle when the sport made its Olympic debut at the Sochi 2014 Games.

The then 23-year-old entered the Games under an injury cloud but easily qualified for the final. In his first run of the finals, Henshaw fell off the top rail and drifted offline on the second last jump. Despite the mix up, the run was clean, giving him his top score of 80.40, which saw him finish in eighth place.

Since his Olympic debut the Sydney-sider has won silver at the 2015 World Championships and bronze at the 2017 Seiser Alm World Cup.

He placed in the top 20 in all events during the 2016/17 World Cup season, ending with an impressive eighth place finish at the 2017 World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain.

He had a slow start to the 2017/18 World Cup season, battling injury and illness, but returned to full health at the start of the year to record a 34th place at Snowmass before qualifying for his first final of the season at Mammoth Mountain, where he finished 16th.

Ski slopestyle will be held at Bokwang Snow Park on Day 9 of the Games (February 18). Find out more about freestyle skiing at the Games HERE.
​
Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

Sochi Olympian Russ Henshaw had his first finals hit out for the season at the Mammoth Mountain World Cup over the weekend.
 
In a huge event with 63 competitors, the 27-year-old qualified fourth in his qualification heat with a top score of 84.66 to have a run in the top-16 final.
 
He unfortunately couldn’t complete his full run in the final, finishing in 16th place, which is a season’s best for Australia’s top slopestyle skier.
 
Canada’s Teal Harle won gold with a best run of 94.20, ahead of Swiss skier Andri Ragettli and fellow Canadian Evan McEachran.
 
Having overcome injury and illness that impacted his opening two World Cups, Henshaw went into the event feeling more confident than he had all season after he put down a solid run at last weekend’s Snowmass World Cup, where he finished 34th with a top score of 79.33.
 
The Sydney-sider made his Olympic debut at Sochi 2014 when the sport of Ski Slopestyle appeared in the Olympic program for the first time. He will be looking to improve on his 8th place finish from Sochi if he is selected in his second Winter Olympic Games Team for PyeongChang 2018.
 
His fellow Australian teammates Nic Stevens finished 41st at Mammoth with a top qualification score of 50.33.

Georgia Thompson
AOC
 

Australia's Holly Crawford and Nate Johnstone have finished seventh and tenth in the final Halfpipe World Cup prior to PyeongChang 2018.

Competing in Laax, Switzerland, Crawford put down a best score of 46.50 on her second of two runs in the 8-woman final.
 
Crawford's teammate and fellow three-time Olympian Torah Bright progressed through to the final earlier in the week but did not start leaving her in eighth place overall. 

China dominated the competition with Jiayu Lu claiming top spot with a score of 96.25, beating compatriot Xuetong Cai and Spaniard Queralt Castellet.

In the men's event Johnstone put down a best run of 46.00 to end the event in tenth as he builds towards competing at his second Olympic Games in PyeongChang. 

Sochi 2014 gold medallist Iouri Podladtchikov impressed on home soil taking out the victory with a score 90.50 ahead of Yuto Totsuka of Japan and China's Yiwei Zhang.

The event did not feature a number of highly ranked athletes from the USA who had their final selection event at Mammoth Moutain in Colorado. 

Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au

Some of Australia’s top snowboarders will drop into the halfpipe in Laax, Switzerland in this year’s second World Cup and final PyeongChang qualifier.
 
Among those competing at the Swiss resort include Holly Crawford, Torah Bright and Sochi Olympian Nate Johnstone, who is hoping for “redemption” after Snowmass “didn’t go to plan for me at all”.
 
Johnstone finished in 36th place with a best score of 19.00 last week, missing out on Saturday’s 10-man final after he “couldn’t manage to put one [run] down in either of my competition runs”.
 
“I just want to put down a solid run and build on that through the event,” he said.
 
“Training has been good, we had a great first day of training but the snow has rolled in hard and put a handbrake on the event for the time being.”
 
Crawford, Bright and Emily Arthur finished within the top 15 of last week’s Halfpipe World Cup but were unable to secure spots in the eight-woman finals.
 
Crawford, a three-time Olympian, finished in 14th place with a best score of 56.75 while Torah Bright wasn’t far behind, placing 15th with a best score of 55.75.
 
Bright, who like Crawford is hoping to compete in her fourth Winter Olympics, recently stepped up to the podium twice during the North-American Cup circuit in December after making a stunning return to the Snowboard Halfpipe competition.
 
Arthur, who competed in Snowmass after securing her best ever World Cup result at China’s Secret Garden in December, finished in 12th place with a best score of 60.25.
 
With PyeongChang looming, the 18-year-old has elected to remain at her “home mountain” of Mammoth, California while she tests some new tricks on airbags.
 
“It really helps with fear, because you literally have nothing to lose when you try a trick, so it definitely helps me get tricks much quicker,” she said.
 
“My coach and I thought it would be good to compete here and get some extra training in and not worry about travelling so close to the Olympics.”
 
Fellow Halfpipe riders Kent Callister and Scotty James will also remain in the U.S. and compete alongside Arthur at the Mammoth Grand Prix in California.
 
In last week’s World Cup final, described by commentators as the “most impressive event in the history of snowboarding”, James claimed silver with a best score of 96.25.
 
“Australia, more now than ever in my career, I can really feel the energy and the camaraderie coming from them and I really appreciate it,” the 23-year-old said following the event.
 
With snow showers and low visibility on the forecast for Laax, Wednesday’s qualification runs were put on hold with event organisers hoping that a window will open on Thursday for combined qualifiers and semi-finals.
 
“But with more snow on the forecast, we’ll see what tomorrow brings,” Johnstone said.
 
“Otherwise, everything is good and it’s great being back in Laax!”
 
For live updates from Laax click HERE or follow OWIA on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA

Slopestyle skier Russ Henshaw has received “a real confidence boost” after competing in Snowmass ahead of this week’s World Cup in Mammoth, California.
 
While Henshaw missed last weekend’s 16-man World Cup final after placing 34th in the qualification runs, he said that he was “stoked” to have finished the day with a best score of 79.33 after mixing things up in his second run.
 
“I landed everything and yeah, I don’t know, I took a bit of a chance with the rails at the top trying to be creative and I don’t think the judges really liked that but I was happy with it,” he said.
 
The Sochi Olympian said that ahead of the last qualifier for PyeongChang he is “feeling good”, especially after having what can only be described as a bumpy start to the season.
 
A back injury sustained at the season opener in Cardrona, New Zealand impeded the 2017 Slopestyle Skiing World Cup bronze medallist’s qualification round and saw him finish in 34th place.
 
Meanwhile in Font Romeu, France, a combination of poor conditions during training and a head cold then saw the 27-year-old finish in 55th place.
 
“Last two events I’ve had a bit of trouble – New Zealand I put out my back, unfortunately, which kind of sucked,” he said.
 
“And in Font Romeu I had a bit of a cold and I really didn’t like the course there.
 
“To put a run down [today], it’s good momentum going into Mammoth and fingers crossed for good weather there, because the last four years have been a little touch and go!”
 
Henshaw will be joined in Mammoth by fellow Aussies Nic Stevens and Ryley Lucas.
 
Stevens finished in 46th place in Snowmass after a best score of 69.00, while Lucas finished 58th on 43.66.
 
The next Slopestyle World Cup will take place at Mammoth Mountain, California from the 19-20 of January. For live results click HERE or follow OWIA on Twitter HERE or Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA
​

​Less than a week since claiming Australia’s first Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup medal, PyeongChang hopeful Tess Coady will compete in the season’s last Olympic qualifier at Laax, Switzerland.
 
The Junior Snowboard World Champion started 2018 “with a bang” after taking bronze in Snowmass, Colorado on Friday -- a moment that she said was indescribable.
 
Finishing the day with a best score of 75.43, a mere 01.63 points separated the 17-year-old Victorian high school student and the event’s gold medallist, Kiwi Christy Prior.
 
Current world number one Reira Iwabuchi from Japan finished the day in second with a score of 76.48.
 
Coady, who is now ranked fifth in the discipline, said that she was “feeling pretty good” heading to the Swiss ski resort this week and hoped to replicate another high scoring run.
 
“The last time I was there the course was pretty sweet,” she said.
 
“[It’s] a pretty long course too kind of like this one but yeah, that should be good fun too so just [going to] go and try and get something down there too.”

​The young gun rose to prominence in 2017 after she claimed both the Big Air and Slopestyle Junior World Championships within the space of two days in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic.
 
Fellow Aussie Matthew Cox, who finished in 34th place at Snowmass with a best score of 20.25, won’t be joining Coady in Switzerland.
 
Instead, the 19-year-old will remain in the U.S. and compete at the Mammoth Snowboard Grand Prix in California with qualifications to be held on 18th January.
 
The final Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup before PyeongChang kicks off on Wednesday 17 January, with finals held on Friday. For live results click HERE or follow OWIA on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA

Scotty James has claimed silver at the Halfpipe World Cup finals in Snowmass, Colorado following what was described by commentators as the “most impressive event in the history of Snowboarding”.
 
After spending much of the day at the bottom of the leader board with American gold medallist Shaun White, the 2017 World Champion dropped into the pipe for an exceptional final run which would see him receive a best score of 96.25.
 
Japan’s Yuto Totsuka finished the day in third place with 94.50 while a perfect score from White saw James finish second.
 
“It was a long day, a lot of nerves,” the 23-year-old said.
 
“The switchback twelve is something I’ve been working on and something that’s never been done before so it definitely got me mentally the past couple of competitions, but I was very stoked and over the moon to put it down.
 
“I was just happy to come away and land a run pretty much.”
 
In typical James style, he donned his quintessential red boxing gloves for the final run.
 
“My red gloves are just a bit of a tradition of mine, just my boxing gloves – boxing kangaroo,” he said.
 
“I wear them all the time, every finals I have them on – that’s it, it’s my mojo.”

Referred to in 2017 as ‘the most popular Australian sports star in America’, James described how he felt it was “quite hard to beat these Americans at these US qualifying events”.
 
Across a variety of different sports and events Australia’s winter athletes are proving that they’re a group capable of medal results against the very best.
 
“Australia, more now than ever in my career, I can really feel the energy and the camaraderie coming from them and I really appreciate it,” James said.
 
It’s been a great weekend in Snowmass for Australia, with 17-year-old Tess Coady claiming the country’s first ever medal in a Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup.
 
Referring to Coady’s achievement, James added that he can’t wait to watch the young gun’s career.
 
“It was so cool watching Tess Coady get third yesterday, I’m so happy for her and I know what that feels like when you get your first podium on a big competition,” he said.
 
“I’m really happy for her and I’m really excited to watch her career, I’m just excited and it’s only the beginning.”

David Barden
OWIA​​

Junior Snowboard World Champion Tess Coady has started the year “with a bang” after taking bronze in the Slopestyle World Cup final in Snowmass, Colorado on Friday.
 
The 17-year-old is the first Australian snowboarder to win a Slopestyle World Cup medal, with Torah Bright previously being the only Aussie medallist in the discipline after taking bronze in the 2013 World Championships.
 
Cody was “so hyped” to finish the day in third place and to step up onto her first World Cup podium.
 
“I can’t even describe it,” she said.
 
“Practice was rough, everyone was knuckling so much so it was really sketchy and then I made a decision to pull out the bottom jump which was pretty good.”
 
After a “pretty mellow” first run, Coady spent most of Friday’s finals in second place before her third run briefly bumped her into the top spot with a best score of 75.43
 
“My second run had some problems with speed because of the wind,” she said.
 
“In my third run I did a trick I haven’t done all season which I was pretty nervous about, I just haven’t had a good chance to do any this year because sometimes my first run’s a bit sketchy but I was STOKED!”
 
Kiwi Christy Prior ultimately ended the day in first place with a score of 77.06, while 16-year-old and current world number one Reira Iwabuchi from Japan finished second with 76.48.
 
Coady, who is still in high-school, only started competing internationally in 2017 and rose to prominence after claiming both the Big Air and Slopestyle Junior World Championships within the space of two days in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic.
 
The young gun, who is now ranked fifth overall in Snowboard Slopestyle, has previously said that a combination of nerves, self-belief and big crowds is the key to getting her “amped up” whenever she competes.
 
With the PyeongChang Winter Olympics just 27-days away Coady now turns her attention to the next World Cup in Laax, Switzerland which will be held from 17 – 19 January.
 
“I’m feeling pretty good,” she said.
 
“The last time I was there the course was pretty sweet, pretty long course too kind of like this one but yeah, that should be good fun too so just [going to] go and try and get something down there too.”

David Barden
​OWIA

Australia’s top female snowboarders have finished within the top 15 of the Halfpipe World Cup following Thursday’s qualification runs at Snowmass, Colorado.
 
However, with only the top eight making it through to finals, Emily Arthur, Torah Bright and Holly Crawford will not be competing on Saturday and will instead turn their focus to the next competition.
 
Arthur, who came to Colorado after securing her best ever World Cup result at China’s Secret Garden in December, finished 12th today with a best score of 60.25.
 
“I was very happy [with] how I performed considering how awful my practice was,” the 18-year-old said.
 
“I was able to somewhat pull something out when it counted and I’m very happy about that! The pipe and the atmosphere was really fun, I was back with all my American friends which definitely upped the vibes.”
 
Fellow Aussie and three-time Olympian Holly Crawford finished in 14th place with a best score of 56.75 while Torah Bright wasn’t far behind, placing 15th with a best score of 55.75.
 
Bright, who like Crawford is hoping to compete in her fourth Winter Olympics, recently stepped up to the podium twice during the North-American Cup circuit in December after making a stunning return to the Snowboard Halfpipe competition.
 
The last chance for Australia’s Halfpipe riders to secure crucial qualification spots for the PyeongChang Games will be at the next World Cup in Laax, Switzerland from the 17 – 20 January.
 
Arthur, however, will not be competing in Switzerland, instead opting to stay at her “home mountain” in Mammoth, California to compete in the Mammoth Grand Prix and spend time testing out new tricks prior to the Winter Games.

“My coach and I thought it would be good to compete there and get some extra training in and not worry about travelling so close to the Olympics,” she said.
 
As for the men, 2017 World Champion Scotty James qualified for the 10-man Halfpipe final on Saturday after placing second in his qualification heat with a score of 88.75.
 
Unfortunately James’ fellow Aussies Kent Callister and Nate Johnstone did not qualify for the finals, with Callister placing 19th following a best run score of 59.25 and Johnstone 36th with 19.00.
 
The halfpipe finals will be broadcast live on Eurosport from 7am AEDT on Sunday morning. For live results click HERE or follow OWIA on Twitter HERE or Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA

Slopestyle skier Russ Henshaw has missed out on this weekend’s 16-man World Cup final at Snowmass, Colorado after placing 34th in Thursday’s qualification runs.
 
Nevertheless, the Sochi Olympian remains positive as he now prepares for the next World Cup at Mammoth Mountain, California saying that Snowmass has given him “a real confidence boost”.
 
The 27-year-old said that he was “stoked” to have finished the day with a best score of 79.33 following his second run.
 
“I landed everything and yeah, I don’t know, I took a bit of a chance with the rails at the top trying to be creative and I don’t think the judges really liked that bit I was happy with it,” he said.
 
“I put together a run in training that I was super stoked on and then had a little bobble on the first run, the speed kind of changed coming into the second bump and I went smaller than I thought I was going to, so [I] missed my grab and the score reflected that.”
 
The 2017 Slopestyle Skiing World Cup bronze medallist hasn’t had an ideal start to the season after sustaining a back injury at the first World Cup in Cardrona, New Zealand which impeded his qualification round.
 
In Font Romeu, France, a combination of poor conditions during training and a head cold then saw Henshaw finish in 55th place.
 
“[I’m] feeling good, this was a real confidence boost,” he said.
 
“Last two events I’ve had a bit of trouble – New Zealand I put out my back, unfortunately, which kind of sucked and in Font Romeu I had a bit of a cold and I really didn’t like the course there.”
 
Fellow Aussies Nic Stevens and Ryley Lucas were also on the Slopestyle course on Thursday with Stevens finishing the day in 46th place and Lucas 58th.
 
The next Slopestyle World Cup will take place at Mammoth Mountain, California from the 19-20 of January.
 
For live results click HERE or follow OWIA on Twitter HERE or Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA
​

Skier Russ Henshaw is feeling “really good” ahead of the first Slopestyle World Cup of 2018 in Snowmass, Colorado.
 
The Sochi Olympian, who has been competing internationally since he was 15-years-old, has been focussing on his skiing in the lead up to the event, spending a week in Utah before arriving in Colorado.
 
“I spent a week in Park City skiing and then drove over to Breckenridge/Keystone and skied there from the first of January,” he said.
 
“Training both before and after Font Romeu has been great! I feel really good and I’m just hoping for good weather for the event here in Snowmass.
 
“The first day of training was excellent, I figured out my jump run and also worked on a few options for the rails.
 
“The second training session wasn’t so great, we had a little rain the night before and snowboarders were on the course beforehand, meaning it was a little beat up.
 
“Also, the wind progressively got worse as the session went on, so I wasn’t too productive on the jumps but did have a good time on the rails!”
 
The last time Henshaw hit the hill for a World Cup was in Font Romeu, France however a combination of poor conditions during training and a head cold saw the 27-year-old finish in 55th place.
 
Nevertheless, the 2017 Slopestyle Skiing World Cup bronze medallist isn’t letting that get to him as he heads into this week’s World Cup, which also doubles as an Olympic Games qualifier.
 
“I feel good now,” he said.
 
“Body is feeling great and the course here is good so all that we need now is some good weather!”
 
Henshaw will be joined by fellow Aussies Nic Stevens and Ryley Lucas when qualifications kick off on Thursday 11th January.
 
For live updates from the Slopestyle Skiing World Cup in Snowmass, Colorado click HERE or follow OWIA on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA
 
 
 

Australia’s top Snowboard Halfpipe riders are gearing up for their second last chance to qualify for the Winter Olympics at the first World Cup of 2018 in Snowmass, USA.
 
While PyeongChang is in less than a month, the main priority for Sochi Olympian Nate Johnstone is to put “a good, clean run down at this event” and then repeat it again at the next World Cup.
 
“There’s so much going on at the moment so I think it only really sets in once you actually get there [to PyeongChang],” he said.
 
“Right now I’m not really thinking about Korea, I’m thinking about the comp that’s in the next few days and then after that [I] literally fly straight to Switzerland.”
 
Johnstone, who “decided to pull the pin” on the last World Cup in Copper Mountain after a fall on his way to training, was also prevented from competing in the Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colorado.
 
“They treated it as a concussion and then I had to follow the protocol and so by the time I was going to get back on snow, it wasn’t going to give me enough time to train,” he said.
 
After heading back to his hometown of Sydney to soak up some sunshine, Johnstone arrived back in the USA last Thursday and has been spending time training and familiarising himself with the pipe ahead of this week’s qualification runs.
 
“I got back over here on the fourth of January so we had a few days riding Copper prior to driving down here … Today was the first day of comp practice and everything felt pretty good, just getting used to the pipe,” he said.
 
“It’s a bit different to the ones we’ve ridden in Copper and Breck so it’s just a matter of adapting and getting used to it, feeling it out. It’s good, just different.
 
“They all ride a little bit different, because we mostly train in Summit and we’re riding in Copper and Breck a lot, you tend to get used to them and they have a style.”
 
Fellow Aussie and 2017 World Champion Scotty James will also be competing in this week’s World Cup after claiming silver at the Dew Tour with a solid score of 96.00.
 
James, who has been described as probably ‘the most popular Australian sports star in America’, competed in his first Olympics at Vancouver in 2010 after injury prevented Johnstone from competing.
 
Sochi Olympian Kent Callister, 22, who narrowly missed out on the top 12 final in the Dew Tour after finishing 13th, said that he is feeling “very confident going into this next World Cup”.
 
“Training has been going great recently,” he said.
 
“I’ve been in Colorado all season riding at Copper Mountain. The halfpipe has been awesome so I’ve been able to do all my tricks I wanted to do for that season.
 
“I have been working on the backside double McTwist 1260. I’ve tried it a few times and I’ve come around to my feet almost every time so I’m aiming to do it in this World Cup.”
 
After securing her best ever World Cup result at China’s Secret Garden, Emily Arthur will also compete in this week’s event.
 
The 18-year-old – who only finished her HSC exams a few months ago – burst onto the international scene after claiming a silver medal at the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Winter Olympic Games.
 
Three-time Olympian Torah Bright, who has made a stunning return to the Snowboard Halfpipe competition after bursting back onto the podium twice during the North-American Cup circuit in December, is also scheduled to compete in Snowmass as is fellow Aussie Holly Crawford.
 
For live updates from Snowmass click HERE or follow OWIA on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA
 

17-year-old Junior Snowboard World Champion Tess Coady is set to compete in the Slopestyle event at this week’s World Cup in Snowmass, USA. 
 
For all PyeongChang hopefuls, Snowmass is the penultimate chance to qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
 
Coady shot to prominence last April after claiming both the Big Air and Slopestyle Junior World Championships within the space of two days in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic.
 
Coach Nacho Vaz said that Coady was “looking forward to be shredding with the other ladies” and that her focus was to “keep it fun and relaxed” while getting acquainted with the course.
 
“The course in Snowmass is really fun so it should be a great event,” he said.
 
The Victorian high-school student, who only started competing internationally in 2017, finished 17th at the most recent Slopestyle World Cup in Cardrona, New Zealand.
 
For the young gun, a combination of nerves, self-belief and big crowds is the key to getting her “amped up” when competing.
 
“The crowd gets me more excited to be competing, knowing there’s people who are getting excited about the things you’re doing,” she previously said.
 
“You’ve got to trust your riding and your ability.”
 
Coady will be joined in Snowmass by fellow NSWIS athlete Matthew Cox who recently stepped up to first place on the podium at the Australia-New Zealand Cup in Cardrona.
 
The Slopestyle World Cup kicks off with qualification runs this Wednesday 10 January with finals held on Friday 12. You can keep up to date with the live results HERE or on OWIA’s Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA

SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE: Emily Arthur has qualified for her first Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup final after finishing fifth in today’s qualification round at Secret Garden, China.

A guaranteed top-eight World Cup result will be a career best for the 18-year-old, and she's "so stoked."

"The girls are riding really good, so it feels good to be up there amoungst them all!"

Arthur was the very first athlete to drop in, scoring 75.00 in her opening run. She improved her score to 83.50 in her second run to secure her name on Thursday’s start list.

"I was pretty happy with my runs, I was able to handle the wind really well and was stoked with my amplitude, it was a fun day," she said.

"For Thursday I’m going to put a solid first run down to have something on the board but then for sure push it on the next two runs and hopefully plug in some new tricks!"

China’s Jaiyu Liu is heading into the final as the favourite after topping the qualification with a massive 95.00. Liu’s teammate Xuetong Cai sits in second on 91.75 and Japan’s Sena Tomita rounds out the top three.

Arthur, who only completed her High School HSC exams a few months ago, won silver at the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Winter Olympic Games before she placed 17th at the 2017 World Championships in Sierra Nevada in March.

Now the youngster is aiming to make her Winter Olympic debut at PyeongChang in less than two months’ time.
Tune into Eurosport at 3pm AEDT on Thursday afternoon to catch Arthur live in the Secret Garden World Cup.
​
Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

Sochi Olympian and 2017 Slopestyle Skiing World Cup bronze medallist Russ Henshaw hits the hill this week in Font Romeu, France for the season’s first World Cup and Olympic qualifier.
 
Many of the world’s best riders will compete from December 19 to 23 at the French ski resort in the to qualify into PyeongChang.
 
Slopestyle requires a series of acrobatic and aerial tricks on a specially constructed track not dissimilar to skateboard rails. The sport ‘with no rules’ is one of the most popular disciplines and debuted in Sochi in 2014, where Henshaw placed eighth.
 
In early 20107, Henshaw - from Jindabyne, captured a World Cup bronze medal at Seiser Alm in Italy after recovering from a brutal 2015/16 when he sustained a shoulder injury.
 
In the run-up to PyeongChang Henshaw is reporting that he is in good shape and looking forward to the start of his competitive season.
 
“I'm feeling really good and had an amazing time preparing in Laax (Switzerland). I got quite a few days on the jumps and also had the bonus of skiing a lot of powder so it all worked out great,” Henshaw said this week as he arrived in Font Romeu.
 
With each course specially constructed, he is eager to test out this year’s track.

“I haven't seen anything to do with the course yet. Hopefully it is all good and the weather cooperates this year,” he said.
 
Official training gets underway today and Men’s qualification begins at 7.25pm (AEDT) on Thursday, 21 December with finals on Saturday, 23 December from 10.47pm (AEDT).
 
You can follow the live scoring HERE, check for updates on OWIA Twitter HERE or tune into Eurosport from 10.30pm (AEDT) on Saturday night. Check the Eurosport Slopestyle Skiing broadcast schedule HERE
 

SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE: 2017 World Champion Scotty James’ ‘never-give-up’ attitude has secured him the Superpipe silver medal at the Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colorado.

The X Games gold medallist bounced back from finishing 9th at the opening Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup event in Copper Mountain last weekend to secure the podium finish this morning with a solid score of 96.00.

After he was left feeling disappointed from last weekend’s event, the 23-year-old was glad he could turn the result around in Breckendrige.

“I feel good, we achieved what we wanted to do,” James said.

“I was happy to come away with a second, which felt like redemption on last week.”

​Not only was James pleased he could turn the scoreboard around, but he was thankful he was able to compete at all in Colorado.

“I took a pretty bad crash during the week on one of my harder tricks and I’m grateful to get up from that and come back and have a good week.

“It was cool to finish where I did considering I’ve still got a lot more to give, so I’m happy with today and grateful that I’m okay,” he said.

A very consistent day saw James’ first final run score 95.00, followed his best of 96.00 and his third run scored 94.00.

19-year-old American Jake Pates, who won gold in both the halfpipe and the slopestyle events at the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games, won the gold with 97.33 showing he is a serious contender for next year’s Winer Olympic Games. Pates’ compatriot Ben Ferguson rounded out the podium in third with a score of 92.00.

Fellow Aussie Kent Callister narrowly missed out on today’s top-12 final, finishing yesterday’s qualification run in 13th place, just 3 points off a finals birth.

The Dew Tour served as a qualification event for the US Winter Olympic Team, meaning the American’s were out in full force over the weekend and putting everything on the line. The US athletes cleaned up the podium in the women’s Superpipe event with Chloe Kim taking gold, Kelly Clark in silver and Arielle Gold rounding out the podium.

James and Callister are back in action next week at the Secret Garden World Cup in China on December 19.
​
Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE: Australia’s top snowboard halfpipe riders are taking their Superpipe show to the Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colorado this weekend.

​The winter edition of the Dew Tour brings together top snowboarders and skiers from around the world for competition during the day before the site turns into a festival and concert at night.

Similarly, the event sees the world’s best skateboarders in action during the warmer months, attracting an urban and creative crowd.

Donning the green and gold in Breckenridge includes 2017 World Champion Scotty James who finished ninth in the halfpipe World Cup season opener in Copper Mountain last weekend.
The 23-year-old won the X Games gold medal in January this year; an event that attracts a similar audience and atmosphere to the Dew Tour.

James won bronze at the 2014 Dew Tour and placed fifth the year before. He is set to face one of his biggest rivals, American snowboarding legend Shaun White at this weekend’s event.

Joining James on the pipe are his fellow Aussie teammates Kent Callister and Nate Johnstone.

Callister finished 23rd in the opening World Cup last weekend, while Johnstone will be looking to kick start his season off on a high on Friday.

Superpipe qualifications kick off at 10.15pm Thursday night (4.15am AEDT Friday), with the finals held at 12.30pm on Friday (6.30am AEDT Saturday).


Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

Three-time Olympian Torah Bright has made a successful return to Snowboard Halfpipe competition with two podium finishes on the North-American Cup circuit this week.

In her first event since the 2015 World Championships, Bright won gold with a strong score of 93.50 at the Copper Mountain Nor-Am Cup on Wednesday, and backed up that result with a second place finish at the second event this morning.

The 2010 Olympic Champion has made her intentions clear with Ski and Snowboard Australia that she is aiming to qualify for a fourth Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang 2018.

The 30-year-old is Australia’s joint most successful Winter Olympian, a title she shares with two-time Olympic medallist mogul skier Dale Begg-Smith.

After placing fifth at her debut Games at Torino 2006, the Cooma-born snowboarder who carried the Australian flag during the 2010 Opening Ceremony, won gold at the Vancouver Games.

Four years later she became the first competitor to compete in three Snowboard events at the same Games, taking on the Slopestyle and Snowboard Cross in addition to the Halfpipe.

At the age of 27, Bright went one better than just making her mark in the history books. After finishing seventh in the Snowboard Slopestyle on Day 2 of the Games, she produced a blistering performance in the Halfpipe on Day 5 to earn the silver medal, before going on to finish equal 18th in the Snowboard Cross, proving she was the most versatile snowboarder at the Games.

Prior to this week, the only major competition Bright has contested Since Sochi is the Kreischberg 2015 World Championships where she placed 6th in the Halfpipe.

If she qualifies for the PyeongChang 2018 Games, Bright will join Colin Coates, Jacqui Cooper, Lydia Lassila and Adrian Costa in the elite group of Australian Olympians who have contested four or more Winter Olympic Games. 

Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

Winter athletes have been recognised at the Australian Sports Commission third annual AIS Sport Performance Awards (ASPAs) held on 14 December 2016 in Sydney, picking up three prestigious awards.

Dual Olympian Scotty James took out the ‘Male Athlete of the Year’, 2018 Paralympic Team Captain Mitch Gourley was awarded the ‘Paralympic Performance of the Year’ and the Australian Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard Team named ‘Team of the Year’.

For James, it caps off another strong year of results as his momentum builds towards the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang.  In 2017 he successfully defended his World Title, took out the X-Games in Aspen, won the Olympic Test event in PyeongChang as well winning the World Cup Halfpipe Crystal Globe title.

Australia’s stand out performances on the international stage throughout 2017, saw the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard team named ‘Team of the Year’, with an impressive 35 World Cup medals and five podiums at the 2017 World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain with gold to Britt Cox and Scotty James, silver to Danielle Scott and bronze to David Morris and Alex Pullin, putting Australia fifth on the medal tally behind powerhouses Canada, Sweden and China.

Winter sports have also taken top honours at the NSWIS Awards and VIS Awards of Excellence.

The performances throughout the year have been recognised by many across the Australian sports community with Britt Cox, Tess Coady, Steve Desovich and Jerry Grossi taking home awards at the NSW Institute of Sport Awards – click here.

Mitch Gourley’s great results were also recognised at the Victorian Institute of Sport Awards where he picked up another Award of Excellence – click here.

Ski & Snowboard Australia

Touted as likely to be the toughest Big Air World Cup field this season, the women’s Copper Mountain event lived up to predictions with 37 riders, many of whom were from the US and vying for a place on the American Olympic squad.

Just turned 17-year-old Tess Coady, who burst onto the international scene eight months ago winning two Junior Snowboard World Championship titles for Australia in Slopestyle and Big Air, made an exciting start to her Olympic season, placing tenth in the qualifying.

Despite not making the final in such a competitive field, Tess was ‘stoked’ with her result.

“I was very happy to land two solid jumps and particularly happy to score 80 points and finish in the top ten,” she said.

“The vibe on course was intense -  being a US Team qualifying event. All the girls were riding really well and the standard was really high.”

“We had some pretty rough days of practice weather wise which made it hard to get the feel for the jump but on comp day the sun was out and there was no wind and the jump was riding super well,” Coady explained.
 
“I was super stoked to land both of my runs. It was a new trick that I have never done in a competition before (double wildcat) and it helped me break away from the rest of the field a bit.”
 
“All the girls were riding super well in quals and unfortunately my trick wasn't quite enough to get in to finals but I am heading back to Mammoth now to hopefully clean it up a bit.”

NSWIS team-mate Jess Rich, who was coming off seventh and sixth places at two previous World Cups in Europe placed 20th, scoring 60 points.
 
With the Big Air World Cups now completed before the PyeongChang Games in February, Rich and Coady will now turn their attention to Snowboard Slopestyle World Cups in January at Snowmass, USA on January 10 to 12 and then Laax in Switzerland from January 17 to 19.
 
Belinda Noonan
OWIA
 

Australian halfpipe World Champion Scotty James has finished ninth in the opening World Cup of the season.

After topping the qualification heats on Friday, James was unable to replicate his near perfect scores finishing with a best total of 38.75 in the ten man final.

Japan's Ayuma Hirano claimed the victory with a score of 95.25 ahead of the USA's Ben Ferguson and Shaun White.

The VIS rider was unable to stick any of his runs, opening with a 19.00, before putting together his best run of 38.75 before closing out with a 16.75.

Fellow Australian Kent Callister finished 23rd overall.

In the women’s event Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic silver medallist Emily Arthur put down two solid runs of 58.66 and 60.00 to finish ninth in her qualification heat and an overall placing of 16th.

The women's event was an American clean sweep, with Chloe Kim taking the win ahead of Maddie Mastro and Kelly Clark.

James and his Australian teammates will now turn their attention to the Dew Tour event at Breckenridge which begins on Thursday.

Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au