Freestyle skier Sildaru picks up second gold at world championships
Kelly Sildaru, 16 year old Estonian freestyle skier, has clinched another gold medal at the world championships in New Zealand, her second in the competition and fourth throughout her career.
Sildaru, competing at the FIS Junior Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships in Cardrona, near Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand, had already won a gold in the slopestyle event, plus a silver in the 'big air' event.
This time it was the halfpipe that she turned her talents to, defending her existing title as junior world champion and recording her best in the second run with 92.20 points, according to daily Postimees.
Ms. Sildaru, from Tallinn, who first made her name as a freestyle skiier in the US at 2016 Winter X games in Aspen, Colorado, when she was still 13, apparently faced a strong challenge by eventual silver medallist Valeriya Demidova (Russia).
Ms. Demidova demonstrated some excellent trick skills in variety and execution (both criteria which freestyle skiers are judged on), according to New Zealand news site stuff.co.nz, as did Kexin Zhang (China) who picked up the bronze.
However, the report said, noone looked more at home in skiing the pipe, nor matched the amplitude, grabs and trick execution as Ms. Sildaru, and she led the field on all three of her runs, finishing up as junior halfpipe world champion.
Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS now and never miss an update!
Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: BNS