More Gold for Wānaka snow sports stars
Aspen, USA (24 January 2022) – Kiwi Freeskier Nico Porteous (20) has defended his title and won the Men’s Ski SuperPipe gold medal at the 2022 Aspen X Games.
Right after he won Nico was speechless, saying “I can’t believe it, another one, like what?! I am genuinely speechless”.
Nico left it until his fourth and final run to land what the commentators described as the most technical halfpipe run ever landed in competition. He dropped in switch starting with a switch right 900, into a newly learnt switch left double 1440, then into his trademark back-to-back double 1620’s before finishing off with a huge left alley oop double 900.
“It still hasn’t sunk in, I was the last to drop so it happened so fast. To piece all that together in arguably the most high-pressure moment of my skiing career, I can’t believe it!” Nico explained moments after landing his fourth run.
Nico’s older brother Miguel Porteous (22) finished in 7th place at his fourth X Games appearance and Wānaka local Ben Harrington (20) dropped into his debut X Games tonight, finishing in a credible 8th place.
Aaron Blunck (USA) claimed the silver medal in his 12th X Games appearance and David Wise (USA), two-time Olympic gold medalist, rounded out the podium in the bronze medal position.
Tonight was the first time Nico and Miguel have competed alongside each other at X Games, marking a special moment for the brothers.
Following the SuperPipe, X Games announced that Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has won the best in snow Jeep Golden Grill award for winning two X Games gold medals this weekend and becoming the first woman to land back-to-back double corks in a slopestyle run.
Zoi explained “Honestly, words can’t describe it, I am so stoked. Seeing Nico lace the best run of his life tonight tops it off”.
X Games marked the final freeski and snowboard event before the team heads to Beijing to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games starting on February 4th.
Main Image: Zoi and Nico, who have claimed three gold medals between them at the 2022 Aspen X Games. Credit: Tommy Pyatt Photography
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