(Edmonton) Jasmine Baird hit an underflip 900 on her first run of the night — and never looked back afterward.
The Ontario snowboarder won gold in the snowboarding World Cup long jump event on Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium.
Baird set the table for a good night for the Canadian team, as Quebec’s Nicolas Laframboise won the bronze medal in the men’s event.
In the lead after two runs, Baird passed the last during the final round. She watched the other six finalists fail to match her score, and to the loud chanting of the crowd, she launched herself down the artificial 15-story slope for a descent that felt more like a parade than anything else. .
“I’ve never had the luxury of having a winning run before,” admitted Baird. My trainer came up to me and gave me a big hug. Normally I don’t like watching other people jump, for some reason. I don’t like watching scores. But my trainer came and said to me: “Congratulations on your victory”. »
Belgian Evy Poppe won silver. Reira Iwabuchi, the Japanese snowboarder who won the first event of the season in Switzerland, crashed on her first jump but recovered on the last two jumps to clinch the bronze medal.
Iwabuchi and Baird are now tied for the lead in the overall World Cup standings.
Quebecer Laurie Blouin had a big fall during the warm-up and did not jump during her first run. She still finished fifth.
While Baird was able to enjoy his third and final jump, Nicolas Laframboise knew he had to do something special to climb on the podium.
PHOTO JASON FRANSON, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Quebecer Nicolas Laframboise
He had landed a “backside triple cork 16” in training, but he had never attempted this very technical jump in competition. With the podium on the line, the Quebecer decided the time had come to give it a try.
“I didn’t plan to try this maneuver, it allowed me to come back to third position, indicated Laframboise. It was new to me so I was very excited to land that jump. »
Laframboise finished the event behind Australian Valentino Guseli, gold medalist, and American Chris Corning, silver medalist.
Laframboise won over the crowd wearing an Edmonton Oilers jersey on his jumps.
“If we are in this stadium, I will definitely wear one. It was a crowd pleaser and I will keep it that way,” he said.
It’s not just Blouin who struggled with the slope, the men too.
“The jump is extraordinary, but it’s very tight in terms of speed. You have to go in a straight line,” noted Canadian Cameron Spalding, who took the seventh rung.
Spalding, however, was full of praise for the team that worked to create what he called “an incredible experience” to host a World Cup in Canada’s biggest stadium.
Three-time Olympic medalist Mark McMorris attempted a spectacular backside triple 1800, but he didn’t land it. He finished fifth.