Secret Garden set for halfpipe showdown
Dec 18, 2018·Snowboard Park & Pipe
Secret Garden (CHN) - After a thrilling season-opener two weekends ago in Copper Mountain (USA), the 2018/19 FIS Snowboard halfpipe World Cup gets back to business this week in Secret Garden (CHN), where, as one would expect from the future venue of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, a perfectly-shaped superpipe awaits riders for the second halfpipe World Cup competition of the season. Qualifications in Secret Garden are scheduled to take place on December 19, followed by finals on December 21.
This season will mark the second in a row that FIS Snowboard has visited Secret Garden, as the Chinese resort is well ahead of schedule in their preparations as a host venue for the Beijing 2022 Games. And with some of the best builders and shapers in the business on hand, the venue is proving its mettle quickly.
A heavy December schedule in the USA means that some of the top-ranked pipe riders won’t be making the trip over the Pacific to the Secret Garden competition, including the likes of current World Cup leaders Chloe Kim (USA) and Scotty James (AUS). With that being said, there’s still a strong international line-up on the scene, ready to rip and get a little first-hand intel on a venue that most will be hoping to compete at in just over three years’ time at the Games.
In the ladies’ event the top competitor to watch out for is one of China’s own, as Cai Xuetong comes into Secret Garden fresh off a third-place finish in Copper Mountain. The two-time defending World Champion has eight victories and 20 total podiums in 28 World Cup starts, and you can bet on her to add to that total this weekend in Secret Garden.
Other ladies to watch include a strong Japanese contingent lead by Sierra Nevada 2017 world championships silver medalist Haruna Matsumoto (JPN), who finished sixth at Copper Mountain and fifth last weekend at the Dew Tour modified pipe competition, and Verena Rohrer (SUI), as the 22-year-old searches for her first World Cup podium after a long string of top-10 results over the past few season.
Podladtchikov-lead Swiss squad look to top strong Japanese team
On the men’s side of things the start lists starts to get really interesting, with a slew of World Cup, world championship, and Olympic podium winners on hand and ready to duke it out in the Secret Garden pipe.
Perhaps the most intriguing name on the start list is Iouri Podladtchikov (SUI), as the Sochi 2014 Olympic gold medalist steps into his first competition of the season after closing out 2017/18 with a win in Laax. Despite missing months of action (including the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics) last season after suffering an injury at the X Games, Podladtchikov proved in Laax he’s still one of the heaviest hitters in the pipe when he’s on form.
The top-level Swiss talent doesn’t stop there, though, as behind Podladtchikov are the likes of Jan Scherrer and young gun David Habluetzel, both of whom are riding well so far this season.
And of course there’s always-strong Japanese squad, with Ikko Anai, Raibu Katayama, and Yuto Totsuka - ranked fifth through seventh at the Copper contest, respectively - all on hand in China. Last season Katayama and Totsuka finished second and third behind their teammate Ayumu Hirano in a Japanese sweep of the men’s podium at Secret Garden, and you can bet they would love to replicate that result this season with a much deeper field on hand.
Qualifiers in Secret Garden get underway early on Wednesday, December 19, with the ladies’ dropping in at 9:00 local time, followed by the men at 10:50. Finals are then slated to go down on Friday, with the first of three runs beginning at 9:30 local time.
TV SCHEDULE
Austria - same-day delayed on ORF Sport + at 9:25
China - live on BTV
Europe - live on Eurosport Player
Asia/Pacific - live on Eurosport 1
France - same-day delayed on L'Equipe at 9:00
Italy - delayed on Rai Sport on 24/12 at 16:10
Poland - delayed on Polsat Sport Extra on 22/12 at 4:00
USA - delayed on NBC Olympic Channel and NBC Sports Gold on 22/12 at 4:00 am ET
QUICK LINKS:
Secret Garden data page (start lists, programme, live scoring, results)
