Reira Iwabuchi and Takeru Otsuka claim Big Air victory on opening World Cup weekend in Switzerland

BySportsbeat

Updated 23/10/2022 at 09:31 GMT

Compatriots Reira Iwabuchi and Takeru Otsuka both took Big Air gold in the first meeting of the 2022-23 FIS Snowboard World Cup in Switzerland. The dominant Iwabuchi posted a score of 180.75 to finish ahead of Austria's Anna Gasser and Canada's Jasmine Baird. Otsuka added another gold medal for Japan with 166.50, ahead of Ruki Tobita and Switzerland's Nick Puenter, in the men's competition.

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Reira Iwabuchi and Takeru Otsuka claimed Big Air victory in the first meeting of the 2022-23 FIS Snowboard World Cup in Chur, Switzerland.

Iwabuchi was in imperious form in the women's, posting a score of 180.75 to take gold ahead of Austria's Anna Gasser and Canada's Jasmine Baird.

Compatriot Otsuka followed up with a second gold of the day for Japan with 166.50, ahead of Ruki Tobita and Switzerland's Nick Puenter.

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Iwabuchi set her stall out from the start with a first run of 90.75 to send her straight to the top of the standings, and the 20-year-old never let her lead slip with a dominant performance to start the World Cup in style.

Reigning champion Gasser, who finished second in both events in the 2021-22 World Cup on her way to victory, once more finished runner-up with a score of 164.75.

Last season's bronze medallist Kokomo Murase, who took gold a year ago in Chur, finished a distant fifth with 119.00 after failing to stick her first two runs.

In the men's event, Otsuka also led from the front, inching ahead of Germany's Noah Vicktor by just four points after the first run.

But the 2019 FIS Snowboard World Cup Big Air champion pulled clear with a huge 88.75 in his second run, wrapping up the victory before taking to the slopes for his third.

Tobita recovered from a disappointing 28.75 in his first run to claim silver courtesy of a 86.75 second run to finish with a total of 140.00, while 2022 champion Jonas Boesiger finished fifth with 120.25, just over five points behind compatriot Puenter.

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