SNOWBOARD: As the 2017 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships moves into its second week, two of Australia’s youngest team members are gearing up for their second event of the competition.
With the Snowboard Slopestyle now behind them, 16-year-old Tess Coady and 19-year-old Matt Cox will represent Australia in the Big Air competition on Thursday.
Coady will be aiming to add another good result to the 11th she achieved in the Slopestyle.
The teenager will make her international Big Air debut at these World Championships and she will need a top six ranking in qualifying if she is to progress to Friday’s final.
“I’m really keen to ride this jump, it looks pretty nice,” Coady said.
“Think it should be really fun, I’ve got a few tricks in mind to do on the jumps. Good to go in with a bit of a plan,” she said.
Given it’s her first international event Coady won’t set any expectations.
“Just got to see how it goes, especially comparing to other girls’ tricks, hopefully if I put a couple of good tricks down I can get a higher result,” she said.
In the Slopestyle Coady didn’t get the first run she was hoping for.
“I stuffed up my first run so I was really happy that I got it together and landed on my second run,” she said.
“The atmosphere was super good up the top so it was extra motivation to put a run down and put a good score on the board.
“When it comes down to that second run it’s definitely a bit more pressure but it can be a good thing for motivation. It makes you want to land it that little bit more because you have nothing behind you,” she said.
19-year-old Matt Cox is hoping for a better outcome in the Big Air after he was unable to start the Slopestyle due to a fall in training. The former Halfpipe competitor switched to Slopestyle and Big Air events in 2016 and has two Big Air World Cup appearances under his belt coming into these World Championships.
Cox will start in Thursday’s qualifying where he will need a top 10 result in order to advance to the final.
Big Air has featured at the World Championships since 2003 but has not previously been contested at the Olympic Winter Games. That’s all set to change with the discipline set to make its debut at PyeongChang in 2018.
Big Air qualifying begins Thursday with the finals to follow on Friday evening, local time under lights.
The final events will be lived streamed HERE from 5.15am AEDT on Saturday morning.
Michelle Cook
OWIA
