Anna Gasser Tops Snowboarding Big Air Qualifying at Olympics 2018
Anna Gasser performed well enough to qualify with her first run. But instead of phoning her second run in, Gasser threw together a near-perfect run to take a lead into the final runs of the big air event at the 2018 Winter Games on Sunday (U.S. time) in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Gasser's second run earned her a score of 98.00, giving her an advantage over the Japanese pair of Yuka Fujimori and Reira Iwabuchi. The winner of the big air event at the 2017 World Championships and 2018 X Games, Gasser picked up right back up where she left off. She put together a solid 88.25 on her first run, looking seemingly nonchalant before breaking out with a stellar second run.
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"I was so excited when big air was added to the Olympics," Gasser said, per Alyssa Roenigk of ESPN the Magazine. "People are going to like it because it's spectacular and exciting."
Big air is a new event added for these Olympics but has been a staple of the Winter X Games and other major events for years. The 26-year-old Austrian had emerged as the favorite and best in the world at the event entering the Olympics.
Fujimori and Iwabuchi both would have qualified with their first runs as well but improved in their second runs.
Canadian Laurie Blouin led following the first run with a score of 90.25 and improved that with a second run of 92.25 to sit in fourth place. Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand (92.00) rounds out the top five.
American Jamie Anderson, who won gold in slopestyle last week, sits in sixth qualifying with a run of 90.00. Anderson failed to convert on her first run but qualified with a solid second run.
"I'm more of a consistent rider," Anderson said. "I like flowing a whole run together more than I'm known for hucking big tricks."
Julia Marino and Jessika Jenson also qualified for the final run for the Americans.
Standings
1. Anna Gasser (AUT): 98.00
2. Yuka Fujimori (JPN): 94.25
3. Reira Iwabuchi (JPN): 92.75
5. Zoi Sadowski Synnott (NZL): 92.00
6. Jamie Anderson (USA): 90.00
7. Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN): 86.50
8. Sina Candrian (SUI): 86.00
9. Julia Marino (USA): 85.25
10. Silje Norendal (NOR): 77.50
11. Spencer O'Brien (CAN): 76.75
12. Jessika Jenson (USA): 76.25
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