It is more than three years left to the next winter OLYMPICS but when the Swedish snowboardåkarna got the chance to test the OLYMPIC track in the Secret Garden, in the chinese Zhangjiakou outside Beijing, they took it.
Both Måns Hedberg and Jesper Landmark was knocked out in the qualifiers. The sole american in the fredagsmorgonens slopestylefinal was OLYMPIC skier Niklas Mattsson.
been superior in qualifying with 79,96 points. In the final he got to see his superior in the japanese Takeru Otsuka (87,10), but 80,21 was enough for a second place.
And the swede was more than happy, not least because he is in the midst of his first year – as a pro was the best – managed to save up a miss.
After spinning a half turn for a bit on the first jump, he took a quick decision, improvised and finished up with a different trick than what he beforehand had decided.
“It has been fun to get many training hours in this course,” says Mattsson to DN.
” The invites to really make the creative line selection, with a little bit different ”features” (jumps and rails) that I felt that I could use and have the advantage of.
the first podium in the world cup since 2014 – also the second. Mattsson has on their cv, even a world cup victory from 2011 (big air) and two world CHAMPIONSHIPS-silver in slopestyle in 2011 and in the big air 2013).
– To be able to stand on the podium here feels really really great and a nice confirmation of what I felt the last two seasons – I have found a harmony in my riding, training and life situation, which gives me the motivation and can lead to results, ” says Mattsson.
waiting for the world CUP in the united states. 2022 can he make his third OLYMPICS.
Before the winter OLYMPICS in Pyeongchang, there were high hopes for the Swedish snowboarding team, but injuries dashing their medaljdrömmarna in both the slopestyle and the new discipline of big air. The star Sven Thorgren came not even to start, and Måns Hedberg suffered a concussion in the slopestylekvalet.
that succeeded best with dual finals, but a miss in the slopestylefinalen meant a combination, and when he was on a personal revenge in the big air damaged his hand and was forced to break.
to strengthen Friday’s podium self-confidence. To already to have succeeded in the OLYMPICS-the track is hardly a disadvantage, even if it is said to be built on a part before 2022.
” It really is a hill and a path that has the potential to be really powerful.
