Damon Hayler and Alex Pullin have both finished in the top twenty of a snowboard cross event in Japan, Pullin surprising by qualifying for the final rounds in fifth place.
 
Competing in his first World Cup event, 19-year-old Pullin raced down the Furano course in a time of one minute 15.51 seconds, less than a second behind the 1:14.58 recorded by fastest qualifier, Drew Neilsen of Canada.
 
Torino Olympic team member Damon Hayler qualified in tenth place in a time of 1:15.85, while Taan Robrahn missed a place in the final, finishing in 51st place.
 
In the finals, Pullin was eliminated in the opening round, finishing 18th overall.
 
Hayler won his round of 32 encounter, and led through the opening sections of the round of 16, before overshooting the spine jump and falling.
 
He recovered to cross the line in third place, but missed a place in the quarter finals, finishing 11th overall.
 
Neilsen went on to win the event from US rider Nate Holland. Another Canadian, Simon Bonfefant, took the bronze.
 
Hayler, Pullin and Robrahn will now contest a World Cup in Lake Placid, USA, on March 10.