SNOWBOARD SLOPESTYLE: In what was described by organisers as "an epic day in Perisher", the winners of the Mile High snowboard slopestyle event have been decided.

Norway's Silje Norendal took out the women's event with a run of 55.33 points. She shared the podium with Michelle Zeller of the USA (44.00) and Canada's Brooke Voigt (39.00).

Australian rider Lauren Staveley was not able to improve on her qualification position of fifth, but was happy to be in the final nonetheless.

"There were a lot of good girls here competing," she said after the event.

"It was a pretty big field with World Championship and World Cup medallists - the biggest field like that ever in Australia.

"I'm a bit disappointed I couldn't get on the podium but just happy to have made the final."

Staveley's final berth comes just days after she missed out on competing at the World Cup in Cardrona, New Zealand.

"On my very first run in training I went off a jump and fell and pretty much landed right on my face," the 19-year-old said of her crash in New Zealand.

"I had a mild concussion and a lot of bruising on my face - it was pretty painful. So I was happy to get back on the horse here in Perisher and it was a big boost to my morale to do as well as I did."

It was a Norwegian double-header with Gjermund Bråten taking out the men's event with a run worth 88.33.

The event boasted a huge first with Great Britain's Billy Morgan landing the first ever triple cork in Australia, landing him second spot on the podium with 85.67.

Norway's Torgeir Bergrem rounded out the top three. Australians Scotty James and Robbie Walker missed the podium but both recorded top-ten results, finishing 7th and 9th respectively.

James was one of a few athletes after Morgan to also land a triple cork. Pulling off the trick bodes well for his Olympic campaign in which he is looking to be a strong contender in both halfpipe and slopestyle. Read about his triple corks here>>>

Alice Wheeler
olympics.com.au
@AUSOlympicTeam