China’s Cai Xuetong and Wu Shaotong Advance to FIS Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup Final
China’s veteran Olympian Cai Xuetong and teammate Wu Shaotong have secured their spots in the women’s final of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup at Genting Snow Park in Chongli on Friday.
The qualification round featured a single heat where the top eight snowboarders advanced to the final. Competing among 27 athletes, the 31-year-old Cai delivered an impressive first run, earning 87.75 points to rank third overall. She closely followed Japan’s 15-year-old sensation Sara Shimizu, who led the qualifications with 92.00 points, and U.S. snowboarder Madeline Schaffrick, who scored 91.00 points.
“I feel quite excited about the start of this season,” Cai expressed after her run. “I enjoy my time on the course. I’ll present higher difficulty in the final.” Looking ahead, she added, “Next year, I’ll be participating in the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin. It’s my hometown, so I’m really excited.”
Wu Shaotong also clinched a spot in the final, finishing seventh with a score of 78.50 points from 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 Chinese athletes aim to elevate their performances and vie for podium positions.
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China's Cai, Wu advance to FIS Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup final
cgtn.com
