Schoolgirl Ally Hickman seventh in slopestyle

Ally Hickman put in a brave performance in the Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Final to round out her Olympic debut. 

The 16-year-old Sydney schoolgirl laid down a seamless opening run to score 67.70 and sit in fourth position after the first of three runs.  

The wind picked up in her second run and Hickman fell on a top rail, injuring her sternum and was unable to complete the course. She was attended to by medical staff and bravely returned to the top for a third run.  

Hickman’s final run in the best-of-three format was super clean run from the top, but she could not land her front 10 given her speed into the last jump. She landed too high on the knuckle and didn’t have enough time to rotate, rolling down the landing.

Japan won gold and bronze with Mari Fukada in first (87.83), New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski Synnott second (87.48) and Kokomo Murase third (85.80). 

Hickman was embraced by a group of teammates at the end of her remarkable Olympic debut. 

Hickman – a newcomer to the world stage – finished seventh in her first Olympic final. This follows her 15th place finish in Big Air earlier in the Games.   

More to come

Australian Olympic Committee