Totsuka takes crown on World Cup debut

BySportsbeat

Published 09/09/2017 at 12:57 GMT

Despite being just 15 years old, Japan's Yuto Totsuka celebrated the perfect start to his World Cup career with snowboard halfpipe victory at the Winter Games NZ in Cardrona.

Eurosport

Image credit: Eurosport

In a heavy-hitting men's field, technical tricks were the key to a medal-winning performance, and it was a tight finish between Totsuka and his Olympic silver medal-winning compatriot Ayumu Hirano.

Hirano had led the pack after run one with his score of 92.25 points, but Totsuka stepped up his game on the second run, earning 93.25 points to win on his World Cup debut.

Hirano's opening score was enough to secure the silver medal, with Switzerland's Patrick Burgener taking bronze with 88.50.

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In the women's event, Chloe Kim emerged as winner of the season opener to seal her fourth World Cup win in a US sweep of the podium.

Kim, 17, is a three-time X Games medallist, but was making her debut at the Winter Games NZ, and landed a clean frontside 1080 on her first run to score 90.50, which proved to be her winning effort.

"It was nice to land something," said Kim.

"On the second run I wanted to try the back to back tens but it was a bit wild.

"Cleaning it up for the next contest will probably be a priority for me."

Sportsbeat 2017

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