Gasser and Su close out Beijing 2022 snowboard competition with big air golds
Feb 15, 2022·Snowboard Park & Pipe
Snowboard competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games wrapped up in truly epic fashion on Tuesday, with both women’s and men’s big air finals taking to the world’s first and only permanent big air structure at Shougang Park, and with Su Yiming (CHN) Anna Gasser (AUT) claiming Olympic golds.
Su Yiming had already etched his name in the record books when he became the first male snowboarder from China to win a medal at the Olympic Games, picking up a silver in slopestyle on 7 February.
On Tuesday, the 17-year-old stepped his game up a notch, landing two perfect 1800s to win gold at the Shougang Big Air venue, becoming the first Chinese snowboarder to reach the top of an Olympic Games podium.
His combined score of 182.50 in his first two runs was untouchable, giving him a 10.75-point advantage over silver medallist Mons Roisland (NOR).
"This feels insane," Su said. "It's something I've never experienced before. I was just trying to do my best and to enjoy the competition, but I can't believe I got this gold.”
The teen sensation did, in fact, enjoy his path to gold, and was happy to share his secret for success.
"The most important thing, though, is all about love," Su said. "Snowboarding is not just about competition.
"You see here every rider from a different country. We're all doing the same thing - we love snowboarding. This is just out of our love.”
This is the first gold medal for China in snowboard and the third medal overall. In addition to Su’s medal in slopestyle, Liu Jiayu won silver in women’s halfpipe at PyeongChang 2018.
Roisland’s silver was the fifth medal in snowboard for Norway and the third men’s medal at Olympic Winter Games.
“It's been crazy. When I got here I was listed as a close contact, and I'm a very sociable guy," said Roisland, "I was put in my own room, I couldn't take the lift with anyone, we didn't have a coach here because he got Covid. I've been so alone.
“If you told me when I was sitting in that room doing puzzles to kill time I would get silver in big air the following week, I wouldn’t have believed you.
"This is so surreal, and I'm beyond happy."
Max Parrot (CAN) claimed the bronze medal, completing his Olympic Games set after winning slopestyle gold at Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and silver at PyeongChang 2018.
Parrot, who won gold in slopestyle on 7 February, won the sixth medal in snowboard for Canada at Beijing 2022, with his nation’s total now surpassed at a single Olympic Winter Games only by the USA, who earned seven medals at both Turin 2006 and PyeongChang 2018.
Parrot is the second snowboarder representing Canada to win three Olympic medals, after Mark McMorris, who has won bronze at the last three Olympic slopestyle competitions.
Parrot is also the third snowboarder to complete their Olympic medal set (gold, silver, bronze) at Beijing 2022, alongside Benjamin Karl (AUT), Zoi Sadowski Synnott (NZL).
“It's crazy to say that three years ago I was at the hospital battling cancer and going through the hardest times in my entire life,” said Parrot, “Those times I was mostly thinking about tomorrow and hoping to go to the Olympics again. Snowboarding saved my life. It was my motivation every day to keep pushing and to keep not giving up and to be able to do my passion again.”
GASSER DEFENDS BIG AIR GOLD
The women's competition was a nail-biter between defending champion Anna Gasser (AUT) and Beijing 2022 slopestyle gold medallist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (NZL).
The riders were separated by just 0.25 points after their first two successful attempts, so it all came down to the third and final run.
Gasser dropped in second to last and, knowing she needed something more than just a 1080 to overtake the New Zealander, went for a cab 1260. She was awarded 95.50 points, the highest score of the competition, to deny her rival an easy victory lap.
At that point, Sadowski-Synnott had to go for a 1260, as well. However, she was unable to land her backside 1260 attempt and had to settle for second.
"I love Zoi," Gasser said. "She's sick. She is riding fearless and strong, and represents snowboarding so well for the women, and it's so cool to see her progression.
"But all girls inspire and push myself. They all made me a better snowboarder over the last two years because of their strong riding and tricks.”
Gasser defended her title in the women’s big air competition, recording three solid runs and coming through on the final run with the highest score of the competition to win the gold medal.
Gasser is the first woman representing Austria to win multiple gold medals in the same event at the Olympic Winter Games, and the fourth Austrian woman to win multiple Olympic gold medals.
“It's been a great journey,” Gasser went on, “For me snowboarding was passion from first sight. I didn't start snowboarding because I wanted to be an Olympic gold medallist. I started snowboarding because I loved it”
“It's my passion and even if I wouldn't have been an Olympic champion I would have done the same thing. I still can't believe I'm here again. Four years later after winning my first Olympics, I really didn't expect today to happen — 100% no expectation I just wanted to snowboard.
“And as long as I have this laugh and this fire in myself, and see that I'm progressing, and I'm healthy, I want to keep going. I cannot say what I'm going to do next year even or in four years. I'm just going to try to be happy and having fun and doing what feels right.”
The 20-year-old Sadowski Synnott nonetheless became the first female snowboarder to win a complete set of Olympic Games medals, adding silver to the gold she won in slopestyle on 6 February and her bronze in big air at PyeongChang 2018.
Sadowski Synnott is the only woman representing New Zealand to win multiple medals at the Olympic Winter Games and is the fourth New Zealand woman to win at least three Olympic medals.
“I'm pretty stoked with my performance,” said Sadowski-Synnott, “I set the goal of doing my best tricks and I feel like I achieved that. Coming into big air I wanted to do the same but just missed the back 12. I'm pretty stoked nonetheless.
“The progression from four years ago is pretty sick. There's been quite a jump in progression and I don’t think that will really slow down so I'm excited for the next ones.”
Kokomo Murase (JPN) claimed bronze ahead of teammate Reira Iwabuchi (JPN), who went all out on her last run to grab a top-three finish, becoming the first woman to ever attempt a triple cork in competition.
"It was amazing," Gasser said. "That was a boss move and I wish she'd landed it, even though that might have meant me being further down the ranking.”
For the 17-year-old Murase, standing on the Beijing 2022 with Gasser and Sadowski-Synnott was a dream come true.
"My dream was just to become an Olympic medallist,” said the Japanese rider, “This coming true makes me very excited. It is a bronze medal, but the fact that I won a medal makes me very stoked.”
While Iwabuchi, 20, had to bail on her triple cork attempt and settle for fourth to match her finish at PyeongChang 2018, she will be remembered long into the future for not only attempting a trick that no other women has stepped up to in competition, but for doing so with a broken left hand and a heavily bruised right arm incurred during her time competing in both slopestyle and big air here in Beijing.
"I finished fourth today, as I finished fourth at PyeongChang 2018 too,” said Iwabuchi about her bittersweet performance, “It's so hard for me. This result is not so good for me, but I'm stoked to having tried out the triple.”
"I was so excited to hit that jump in this place, the Olympics is so special to me. I'm a little sad I couldn't land my best runs, but I'm happy for standing here.”
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