China’s veteran snowboarder Cai Xuetong and teammate Wu Shaotong have advanced to the women’s final of the FIS Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup at Genting Snow Park in Chongli.
In Friday’s qualification round, which featured a single heat, the top eight snowboarders secured spots in the final. The 31-year-old Cai showcased her experience by earning 87.75 points on her first run, ranking third among 27 competitors.
“I feel quite excited about the start of this season,” Cai said after her run. “I enjoy my time on the course. I’ll present higher difficulty in the final.” Looking ahead, Cai expressed enthusiasm for the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, her hometown. “It’s my hometown, so I’m really excited,” she added.
Leading the qualification was Japan’s 15-year-old sensation Sara Shimizu, who scored an impressive 92.00 points. U.S. snowboarder Madeline Schaffrick followed closely with 91.00 points.
Wu Shaotong also clinched a spot in the final, finishing seventh with a score of 78.50 points after her second run. “I felt a little bit nervous today since this is the very first competition of this season,” Wu shared. “My second run went better, but it still had minor flaws. I’ll try my best with higher difficulty in the final.”
The finals are set to take place on Sunday, where both Cai and Wu aim to showcase more challenging moves and represent China on the podium.
Reference(s):
China's Cai, Wu advance to FIS Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup final
cgtn.com
