Wānaka snowboarder Lucia Georgalli has won silver for New Zealand in dramatic fashion at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea.
Competing in snowboard slopestyle, Georgalli, the Snowboard Slopestyle Junior World Champion, was solid through her morning runs to qualify third for the final.
With temperatures dropping to around -14 Celsius for the final, conditions became tricky as the course iced over.
The 17-year-old was unable to land her first two runs, leaving her just one final run to put down a score.
“I was pretty nervous but I just took a deep breath and thought it is what it is, and dropped in,” said Georgalli.
The Kiwi stuck the run which she started with a technical rail line into a front-7 melon followed by a back-7 mute, giving her a score of 88.25 to take silver.
“I was really happy to land that run. It was challenging, really icy and bumpy.
“I’m stoked to be here, really happy that I got second and represented my country well at the Youth Olympics.”
It is New Zealand’s first ever snowboard medal at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
Austria’s Hanna Karrer won gold and Vanessa Volopichova from the Czech Republic won bronze.
New Zealand’s Ava Beer also made the slopestyle final, following a solid performance in qualification. Unfortunately, Beer was unable to lace together a run in the final, finishing in 10th.
In the women's freeski slopestyle Madeleine Disbrow and Mischa Thomas also qualified for the final. Disbrow finished in ninth place, with Thomas unable to contest the final following a crash in training.
New Zealand's male freeski and snowboard athletes will be in action in slopestyle tomorrow (January 25th).
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