Guseli claims silver at weather affected Sapporo Halfpipe World Cup

NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) snowboarder Valentino Guseli has secured a silver medal at the World Cup snowboard halfpipe competition at the Sapporo Open in Japan, adding another podium to an outstanding season.

Guseli’s second-place finish in Friday’s qualification round ultimately determined the final standings after Sunday’s finals at Sapporo’s Ban-K resort were cancelled due to persistent snowfall creating prohibitively sticky conditions in the halfpipe. The result delivers the two-time Olympian his fourth World Cup medal of the season and the 13th podium of his career.

With finals unable to proceed, qualification scores were used to decide the results. Japan’s Yuto Totsuka, the Milano–Cortina Olympic champion, claimed victory after topping qualification with a score of 91.50. Guseli finished runner-up with a best score of 89.00, while fellow Japanese rider Ryusei Yamada rounded out the podium in third on 85.50 points.

“So awesome to have a comp here, I hope it happens every year from now on”, said the 20-year-old from Dalmeny on the NSW South Coast.

“Had a lot of fun here despite challenging conditions. Can’t wait to come back.”

Guseli will now head to Europe to finish the season, with his next start coming at the slopestyle World Cup in Absolut Park, Flachau, Austria, on March 21. The halfpipe World Cup season will then conclude in Silvaplana, Switzerland, on March 28.NSWIS snowboarder Valentino Guseli has secured a silver medal at the World Cup snowboard halfpipe competition at the Sapporo Open in Japan, adding another podium to an outstanding season.

Guseli’s second-place finish in Friday’s qualification round ultimately determined the final standings after Sunday’s finals at Sapporo’s Ban-K resort were cancelled due to persistent snowfall creating prohibitively sticky conditions in the halfpipe. The result delivers the two-time Olympian his fourth World Cup medal of the season and the 13th podium of his career.

With finals unable to proceed, qualification scores were used to decide the results. Japan’s Yuto Totsuka, the Milano–Cortina Olympic champion, claimed victory after topping qualification with a score of 91.50. Guseli finished runner-up with a best score of 89.00, while fellow Japanese rider Ryusei Yamada rounded out the podium in third on 85.50 points.

“So awesome to have a comp here, I hope it happens every year from now on”, said the 20-year-old from Dalmeny on the NSW South Coast.

“Had a lot of fun here despite challenging conditions. Can’t wait to come back.”

Guseli will now head to Europe to finish the season, with his next start coming at the slopestyle World Cup in Absolut Park, Flachau, Austria, on March 21. The halfpipe World Cup season will then conclude in Silvaplana, Switzerland, on March 28.