Cool Callister finishes ninth

Snowboarder Kent Callister (@kentcallister) was all smiles overnight as he marked his Olympic debut with a top-10 finish in the men’s snowboard half-pipe.

Competing alongside fellow NSWIS athlete Nathan Johnstone (@Nate_johnstone), Callister moved through the qualification rounds and eventually secured passage to the final with a semi-final score of 79.50.

After crashing in his first run in the final, the 18 year old then bounced back to post a best score of 68.50 to sneak into the top-10 at his first Olympic Games.

Johnstone posted a score of 73.50 in the semi-final to miss out on the final by just two points, finishing 13th overall, with his semi-final score eventually being good enough for eighth place had he qualified for the final.

There were just three NSWIS athletes in action overnight, with cross country skier Callum Watson (@callumwxc) adding to Callister’s and Johnstone’s efforts with an 85th placing in the men’s sprint freestyle event.

Three NSWIS athletes are also in action on day five of competition, with the women’s snowboard half-pipe getting under way at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park. Defending champion Torah Bright (@TorahBright) highlights the schedule, and she is joined by fellow NSWIS athletes Holly Crawford and Steph Magiros (@stephmagiros).