Henry Sildaru takes bronze in Tignes world cup event slopestyle
Freestyle skier Henry Sildaru took slopestyle bronze at the Big Air Ski World Cup in Tignes, France, on Thursday.
Sildaru, 19, was Estonia's sole medalist at last month's Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, where he took silver in the halfpipe even. Since he did not qualify for the finals of the olympics slopestyle – which involves negotiating various obstacles – this made the Tignes medal all the more of an accomplishment.
On his first run in Tignes the Estonian earned 81.76 points, which placed him second behind Italy's Miro Tabanelli (83.31) only. His second effort score of 74.35 points therefore did not improve things and, while reigning slopestyle olympic champ Birk Ruud, one of numerous Norwegian medalists in Milano Cortina, rallied to take second place with a score of 83.08, no one else overtook the Estonian – giving Sildaru bronze behind Tabanelli and Ruud. The latter is no relation to tennis star Casper Ruud, from the same region of Norway, though the pair have joked that they are "sporting brothers."
Sildaru is competing again Friday in the Big Air qualification, the signature event in Tignes, from 11.15 a.m. Friday. If he qualifies – or even if he does not – the final takes place 8 p.m. on Friday.
--
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Henrik Laever
