Winter Olympics 2022 - GB's Gus Kenworthy through to men's freeski halfpipe finals after 'dangerous' qualifier
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BySam Webb
Updated 17/02/2022 at 09:14 GMT
“Ouch! That was a bad one, that was a nasty hit, right on the coping” – the men’s freeski halfpipe qualifier in Beijing was not short on scares for spectators, riders and cameramen. Incredibly, nobody was badly injured as heavy snowfall impacted riders’ performances and Great Britain’s Gus Kenworthy progressed by the skin of his teeth, with USA’s Aaron Blunck earning the top score.
‘Oh my god! There could be injuries’ - Sallinen smashes into cameraperson during halfpipe
Great Britain’s Gus Kenworthy is through to the men’s freeski halfpipe final after a qualifying round that saw one rider take out a cameraman and another suffer a huge crash on a halfpipe wall.
Kenworthy fell on his first run but delivered a strong second, with the best of the riders’ two runs being counted.
It was a nervous wait for the 30-year-old as he sat in 12th – the lowest qualification place – and watched several other riders try to take his spot from him.
Fortunately for the Briton, none could manage it and he will compete for a medal on Saturday 19 February from 01:30 GMT.
Visibility became a factor early on in the qualifiers on Thursday as several riders failed to complete their first runs, one of which was Finland’s Jon Sallinen, who wiped out an unfortunate cameraman with his skis.
“Oh my god, he’s gone and he’s taken the cameraman with him!” said Eurosport commentator James Webb.
“That is a very graphic representation of the dangers of freestyle sports,” added co-commentator Richard Cobbing, though luckily both rider and cameraman were not injured and able to continue.
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'I'm feeling confident but really nervous' - GB's Kenworthy ahead of Beijing competition
Kenworthy was also unable to complete his first run, making an uncharacteristic mistake and going into the second-from-bottom in the leader board.
But he scored a 70.75 with his second, which was ultimately enough to see him through.
"I don't think I've ever been more stressed out," Kenworthy said to BBC Sport afterwards.
"I could have done so much more. My first run I had a fall and then really didn't want to fall again, and so I decided to be a little bit more conservative with my [second] run.
"Unfortunately I didn't put it down quite as clean as I could have and the judges were pretty harsh on me for it, rightfully so, but it was not the position I wanted to be in.
"I feel very grateful that I am through to the final, and the final is a new day."
Kenworthy is one of few athletes to have competed across both slopestyle and freeski events, having won slopestyle gold at Sochi 2014 while representing the USA.
He has switched allegiances to Great Britain for the Beijing Games.
Following Finnish rider Salinen’s cameraman wipe-out in the first round of runs, spectators got a second scare when New Zealand’s Ben Harrington took a massive hit on the top of a halfpipe wall.
Giving his all to qualify, Harrington lost control from a take-off and seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before crashing down hard on the top of the ramp.
“Ouch! That was a bad one, that was a nasty hit, right on the coping,” said Eurosport’s Cobbing.
I’m surprised he wasn’t knocked completely out there from that height.
“There are some nervous moments now for the crowd and the other skiers, they know that was a bad crash.
“These athletes make it look so easy when they get it right, but every now and again it goes wrong and you get that yardstick on just how difficult halfpipe skiing is.”
Harrington got up after several minutes and was able to walk through the finishing area, smiling for the camera and waving to the crowd, though he was visibly shaken afterwards.
USA’s Aaron Blunck qualified in first, trailed by New Zealand’s Nico Porteous in second and the USA’s Birk Irving in third.
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