Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, who made a strong comeback after a serious crash during big air training, impressively qualified for the slopestyle final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday. In the men’s qualifying round, 30 riders participated, with the top 12 advancing to the final based on the best of their two runs. McMorris showcased two excellent performances, earning a score of 81.81 in his first run, securing the third position overall.
The 32-year-old athlete from Regina was given clearance to compete after sustaining a concussion, pelvic bone bruising, and strained abdominal muscles in a big air accident on February 4. McMorris, a three-time bronze medalist at previous games, demonstrated resilience in his performance. Additionally, 20-year-old Cameron Spalding from Havelock, Ont., also progressed to the final, securing the fifth spot with a score of 78.76 in his second run following a fall in the first.
New Zealand’s Dane Menzies claimed the top spot in the qualifying round with a score of 86.06. Born in Calgary to a Canadian mother and a New Zealand father, Menzies, who was raised in Canmore, Alta., and trained at Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park, now operates from W─ünaka, New Zealand. Norway’s Marcus Kleveland, surpassing McMorris in the second round, secured the second spot with a score of 81.86.
Furthermore, both Laurie Blouin, the 2018 Olympic silver medalist from Quebec City, and Juliette Pelchat from Whistler successfully qualified for the women’s final scheduled for Tuesday. However, there was disappointment for Canadian Eli Bouchard, an 18-year-old from Lac-Beauport, Que., who narrowly missed out on a place in the final, finishing 13th with a score of 69.51 in the second run.
In another event, Canada’s bid for a podium finish in mixed team snowboard cross was cut short as Eliot Grondin and Audrey McManiman failed to advance after placing fourth in their quarterfinal. The gold was claimed by Britain 1, with Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale leading the way, followed by Italy 1 in silver and France 2 in bronze.
The slopestyle course at Livigno Snow Park, spanning 650 meters with a 165-meter vertical drop, presented challenging rail and jump features for participants, who were judged on the creativity and quality of their tricks. The weather conditions forced a shift in the qualifying schedule to Sunday, with the women’s medal event set for Tuesday and the men’s for Wednesday.
