Ushuaia, Argentina – U.S. Freeskiing’s Keri Herman placed a check mark on history Friday with an FIS World Cup slopestyle skiing victory during the first 2014 Olympic Winter Games qualifying event in Argentina.
Slopestyle and halfpipe skiing will make their debut at the 2014 Olympic program in Sochi, Russia after being added to the program in 2011. An X Games silver medalist, Breckenridge, Colo.’s Herman won by a huge six-point margin to mark her first podium since 2011. Herman’s winning run consisted of a clean double kink rail, frontside 270, switch cork 720 bro-kang grab, switch 540, 360 safety grab, to a cork 540 mute grab.
“This feels amazing and almost surreal. It hasn’t quite clicked in yet because I am so far away from home. It’s been a great week in Argentina and I had some time to figure out what I needed to do to win and I did it,” said Herman, adding, “It’s exciting to be a part of the first Olympic qualifying event and this just inspires me to train harder and stay on the right path towards the Olympics. This really boosts my confidence and it feels so good to be here!”
Switzerland’s Eveline Bhend took second and Canadian Dara Howell came in third. Howell, 17, of Huntsville, Ontario, had troubles on her first run but rallied with a score of 65.4 in the second in the best-of-two run final.
“I’m happy to be on the podium and happy to stay strong and put a run together on my second run,” Howell said. “I’m looking forward to a great season and this is a nice start.”
The men’s gold went to Britain’s James Woods at 90.4. Henrick Harlaut of Sweden was second at 84.4, Jonas Hunziker of Switzerland rounded out the podium at 74.6. Alex Beaulieu-Marchand was the top Canadian in fourth, while the top American male was McRae Williams, of Salt Lake City, Utah, in eighth with Great Britain’s James Woods taking the win.
The Olympic qualifying period provides individual athletes with opportunity to achieve required international ranking in order to be eligible for Olympic selection and helps the USA earn the maximum number of nation’s quota spots. The next chance for athletes to qualify will be Jan. 11, 2013 during the Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colo. – part of the winter-long Sprint U.S. Grand Prix series.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Freeskiing World Cup
Ushuaia, Argentina – Sept. 7, 2012
Slopestyle
| Position | Name | Nation | Score |
Women
| 1 | Keri Herman | Breckenridge, Colo. USA | 85.0 |
| 2 | Eveline Bhend | SUI | 79.8 |
| 3 | Howell, Dara | Huntsville, Ont., CAN | 65.4 |
Men
| 1 | James Woods | GBR | 90.4 |
| 2 | Henrik Harlaut | SWE | 84.4 |
| 3 | Jonas Hunziker | SUI | 74.6 |