Torah Bright has won a World Cup snowboard halfpipe in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, in the process ensuring a place in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games field.
Torah Bright has won a World Cup snowboard halfpipe in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, in the process ensuring a place in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games field.
Bright led the field at every stage of the season’s second event, qualifying in first place with 42.9 points then riding to the highest score on 43.2 points in the first round of the final.
She raised that to 43.5 points in the second round of the final to collect the gold medal ahead of Chinese rider Cai Xuefong on 40.8 points, with Sophie Rodriguez on France in third position on 37.0 points.
The result lifted the 23-year-old rider from 24th place on the Vancouver qualifying list to ninth, and certain of an Olympic berth, with only three more races to come in the process that will sort out the 30 women who will get a start at the 2010 Games.
AIS scholarship rider Holly Crawford, who is currently sitting in second place on the qualifying list and guaranteed a Vancouver place, did not compete in the Swiss event.
Fellow Australian Ben Mates has also kept his Olympic hopes alive, finishing in 19th place in the men’s event to remain in 29th place on the Vancouver qualifying list, which is capped at 40 places.
The Torino Olympian produced a best run of 32.4 points in qualifying, missing a place in the final, while New South Wales team-mate Scott James finished in 44th place on 25.7 points.
Japanese rider Kazuhiro Kokubo won the men’s event from Mathieu Crepel of France and Peetu Piiroinen of Finland.
Crepel’s silver medal pushed him to the top of the qualifying list, one place ahead of AIS/OWI rider Nate Johnstone, who also opted to miss the Swiss event as his Vancouver berth is already assured.
Australia’s short track speed skaters begin their Olympic qualifying races early Saturday morning in Montreal, Canada.
AOC
