Australian Snowboard Duo Stalker and Coady Secure Spots in Winter Olympics Big Air Final
Australian snowboarders Meila Stalker and Tess Coady have delivered impressive performances to qualify for the women's big air final at the Winter Olympics in Livigno. Stalker, making her Olympic debut, showcased remarkable skill by landing a complex trick she only mastered upon arrival at the event.
Stalker's Breakthrough Performance
Meila Stalker, a 22-year-old from Coolum on the Sunshine Coast, overcame initial nerves to secure her place in the final. After a fall on her first jump, she executed a backside double cork 1080 in her second attempt, scoring 82.25 points. She then demonstrated composure under pressure, scoring 82.75 on her final jump to leap up the leaderboard and finish sixth overall in the qualification round.
"It was the first time doing back dub 10 in a competition, so I learned that on the day I came here, so to be able to put it in in comp mode is pretty cool," Stalker said. "I had so much anxiety throughout the whole day so I think I'm pretty glad to just kind of breathe through it and just get them down." Her performance earned congratulations from Australian star Scotty James, who was watching from the sidelines.
Coady's Nerve-Wracking Qualification
Tess Coady, the Beijing bronze medallist in slopestyle, faced a tense wait before clinching the final spot in the big air final. As the first athlete off the jump in the third round, she then had to watch as other competitors attempted to bump her down the rankings.
"I felt like I was sitting in a pretty good position at the start of the last run, but then just kept getting bumped lower and lower, which is just the worst when you're just waiting and there's like nothing you can do about it," the St Kilda product explained. Her persistence paid off as she secured her place among the twelve finalists.
Global Stars Also Advance
The qualification round saw several global snowboarding stars secure their spots in the final. New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synnott set the standard with a score of 172.25 points from her best two jumps. Austrian Anna Gasser and Japan's Kokomo Murase, who joined Sadowski-Synnott on the podium four years ago, also qualified for the medal round scheduled for Sunday (Monday AEDT).
Other Australian Performances
Australia's third entry in the women's big air, 16-year-old Ally Hickman, impressed with her first jump, scoring 85.25 to sit third initially. However, the young athlete admitted she didn't have another elite-level jump prepared and was simply thrilled with her Olympic experience. Hickman had a lucky escape during her first jump when she nearly collided with a drone filming the event.
"I saw on the replay that I nearly got hit by it but I wasn't aware of it while I was doing it," Hickman said.
In other Australian Olympic news, four-time Olympian Alex Ferlazzo finished 18th in the men's luge event. Meanwhile, Hugo Hinckfuss and Seve de Campo placed 57th and 58th respectively in the men's skiathlon, rounding out Australia's representation in these early Winter Olympics events.
