Snowboard lovers, rejoice! The FIS Snowboard World Cup is here, and the season opener at the Secret Garden Resort in Zhangjiakou delivered some serious action ❄️🏂. In the women’s halfpipe qualifiers, three Chinese mainland riders battled their way into the final: four-time Olympian Cai Xuetong, rising star Wu Shaotong, and veteran Liu Jiayu. Meanwhile, on the men’s side, Wang Ziyang claimed his spot among the top seven.
Cai Xuetong, aiming for her fifth Winter Olympics in Italy next February, bounced back from a shaky first run (9.50 pts) with a solid 72.75 on her second. Wu Shaotong impressed with a 71.00 opener, and Liu Jiayu secured the final qualifying spot with 66.00. Leading the women’s pack was 17-year-old Choi Ga-on from the Republic of Korea, who stomped a 93.00 run, with Japan’s Rise Kudo (91.25) and Mitsuki Ono (87.25) close behind.
On the men’s side, Wang Ziyang put down a 67.00 run to finish seventh in his heat and book his ticket to the finals. With 14 riders—seven from each heat—locked in, the stage is set for some epic showdowns this Friday at the Secret Garden.
Whether you’re a die-hard winter sports fan or just looking for some high-flying stoke, tune in Friday to see if these Asian athletes can land podium spots. 🌟❄️
Reference(s):
Four Chinese riders reach FIS Snowboard World Cup halfpipe finals
cgtn.com
