“I’m so grateful to be here today,” said Gu, who’s currently battling through a shoulder injury that may eventually require surgery, “Every day that I have on snow whether it’s just making finals or being on the podium or winning any contests, I never take anything for granted. I’m grateful for every single win that I have and I’m as hungry as ever. Let’s keep it going!”
As with last weekend’s halfpipe World Cup in Secret Garden, runner-up to Gu on Friday was the USA’s Hanna Faulhaber, who had her signature amplitude on display once more put upped the stakes with the final hit of her second run.
Leading off that run with her the massive tail grab that has become her trademark, Faulhaber then went left 900 safety, right flair 540 safety, left 720 mute, and then switch right cork 720 Japan, before finishing things off with a huge left 1080 safety. Add it all up and you’ve got a score of 92.00 and Faulhaber’s first World Cup podium on home soil.
Finishing up in third place on the women’s podium was Atkin, who once again charged the Copper pipe hard but couldn’t quite re-create the magic of her qualification run.
Atkin started her 91.00 scoring first run with a left 540 mute into a right 720 lead tail, then going switch left 720 Japan, right 540 lead tail, right alley-oop 360 Japan and finally a switch right 720 lead tail to earn her fourth career World Cup podium.
FERREIRA FIRING TO LEAD U.S. MEN’S SWEEP
Over on the men’s side of things Alex Ferrera made it clear he’s on a mission this season, as the 13-season World Cup veteran once again put down a series of heavy runs to make it clear that he’s the frontrunner for what could be the second crystal globe of his career.
Ferreira’s first run would score him an astronomical 97.00 that would hold throughout the rest of the competition.
The run began with a switch left 1080 blunt grab, then into an insane right double 1620 safety, a left 1080 tail, and then a switch right double 1080 Japan, before dropping his second 1620 of the run with a left double 1620 cindy.
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