Kim and Totsuka take halfpipe glory in Aspen as Shaun White makes competitive comeback
BySportsbeat
Published 21/03/2021 at 22:26 GMT
World Champion Chloe Kim is too good once again in Colorado, while Japan's Totsuka beats compatriot Raibu Katayama to glory in the men's event
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
Chloe Kim made it two victories in eight days in the women's snowboard halfpipe, as the American sensation took top prize at the US Grand Prix in Aspen.
The 20-year-old had already claimed World Championship success a little over a week before, and added another World Cup win to her trophy cabinet after another dominant display on Buttermilk Mountain.
Kim's score in her first run of three was ultimately enough to win the competition on Sunday, as she scored a mammoth 90.50 to see her top the standings.
Spanish star Queralt Castellet could only muster a score of 86.00 to gain silver in Colorado, while Japan's Sena Tomita rounded off the podium.
The victory was the latest in a perfect return to action for Kim, who took a break from snowboarding last season, and looks refreshed back on the snow in 2021.
"I was in a bad mental place," she said, "Just taking a step back and having fun again was really important for me.
"I'm so grateful to be here right now and thank you everyone for supporting me.â€
There was another star making a return in the men's event, as snowboarding great Shaun White competed at an event for the first time since winning Winter Olympic gold in PyeongChang in 2018.
The 34-year-old could only manage a fourth-place finish on his return to action, however, with his score of 81.50 not enough to see him set foot on the podium.
Instead it was was Japanese duo of Yuto Totsuka and Raibu Katayama who battled it out for supremacy in Aspen, with the former eventually taking the spoils with a score of 91.75.
Katayama was hot on the heels of his compatriot for much of the competition, but could only manage a rating of 86.75 for his performance, with Germany's Andre Hoeflich edging out White to finish third with a score of 84.00.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement