SNOWBOARD: Thorgren authors surprise Big Air win in Beijing

Sweden's Sven Thorgren

Austria’a Anna Gasser has been one of the best Snowboard Big Air and Slopestyle competitors for several years, including the gold medal in Big Air in PyeongChang in February. So it was no surprise at all for her to win the Big Air event in Beijing (CHN).

But Swede Sven Thorgren?

Now 24, Thorgen came to Beijing having won only one World Cup medal in his career, a bronze back in March of 2016 in the Czech Republic. But he mailed his first run, scoring 90.25 to put pressure on everyone else. After a bad second run, he was near-perfect on his last try, impressing the judges who awarded him a stratospheric 93.75 – easily the best mark of the day – to take the win.

Gasser was also ready from the start, posting a fabulous 94.00 to essentially end the event in the first round. She scored 88.25 in the second round and then crashed out on the third, but still won her seventh career World Cup gold medal.

Japan’s Takeru Otsuka and Miyabi Onitsuka both finished second, just as they did in the season starter in Modena (ITA)! Summaries from Beijing:

FIS Snowboard World Cup
Beijing (CHN) ~ 23-24 November 2018
(Full results here)

Men’s Big Air: 1. Sven Thorgren (SWE), 184.00; 2. Takeru Otsuka (JPN), 176.25; 3. Clemens Millauer (AUT), 169.00; 4. Ruki Tobita (JPN), 165.25; 5. Rene Rinnekangas (FIN), 164.50. Also: 9. Chris Corning (USA), 97.25.

Women’s Big Air: 1. Anna Gasser (AUT), 182.25; 2. Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN), 176.00; 3. Laurie Blouin (CAN), 156.00; 4. Zoi Sadowski Synnott (NZL), 150.25; 5. Enni Rukajarvi (FIN), 145.25.