Sixteen-year-old Wānaka snowboarder Lucia Georgalli became the first New Zealander to ever win a snowboard Junior World Championship title, claiming the gold medal at the Winter Games NZ FIS Park & Pipe Junior World Championships yesterday (Wednesday August 30).

Four new Junior World Champion Slopestyle titles were awarded at the event, presented by La Roche Posay and Cardrona on the Big Bucks slopestyle course.

The day started with the snowboard finals for the women and men who had qualified through on Monday.  

“It feels amazing, pretty cool to get my runs down and I am so stoked,” Lucia said.

“I didn’t know if I was going to do a chill second run or step up my run, but I decided to go for a new competition run and I landed it.”

She took a convincing lead with her first run, which remained the top scoring run throughout the finals, until she topped her own score. Dropping into her second run Lucia knew she had secured the title, but rather than taking a victory lap she showed her competitive mindset and upped her run. She scored a 91.00, putting her over 10 points ahead of her nearest competitor.

Her run consisted of technical switch rail tricks in the top section, then a solid jump section that included three different 720 rotations, scoring highly on the variety and difficulty scale. 

Fanny Chiesa Piantanida of Italy claimed the silver medal and Ally Hickman of Australia rounded out the podium in third. 

The men’s snowboard finals field included the current Big Air and Halfpipe overall world champions Taiga Hasegawa of Japan and Chaeun Lee of Korea. It was a tightly fought battle, with constant reshuffling of the leader as the athletes pushed themselves and each other to the max. 

Taiga (17) secured the lead on this final run, claiming the only score in the 90s for the snowboard men. Cameron Spalding of Canada fought hard for second position and Japanese rider Yuto Miyamura rounded out the podium in third. 

“The standard of riding at the snowboard slopestyle finals today was incredible, with a much higher level compared to the last Junior World Champs,” head snowboard judge Gaz Vogan said. “It’s been really good to see that progression in the sport.”

The action continued with the Freeski Slopestyle Junior World Championship finals in the afternoon. 

The women’s final was a nail biter, with many athletes leaving it to the second run to show the judges what they were capable of. Muriel Mohr of Germany took the win with her blinder of a second run being rewarded highly by the judges. 

She was joined on the podium by top seed qualifier Flora Tabanelli of Italy and Mischa Thomas of New Zealand. 

The Freeski men also saved the best to last, with top qualifier Charlie Beatty (16) the final athlete to drop into the course. After crashing his first run he knew it was all on the line, but he remained composed, lacing together a super technical run and leapfrogging into gold medal position.

Fadri Rhyner of Switzerland claimed the silver medal, with Leo Landroe of Norway finishing in bronze medal position.

The Winter Games NZ continues today (Thursday August 31) at Coronet Peak with the FIS ANC Slalom race set to be held on the Pro Am slope.