Freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy has won his first World Cup gold competing for Great Britain, and the first gold Great Britain has ever won in a World Cup halfpipe event.
Kenworthy, who switched allegiance from the US to Britain in December, came first in the ski halfpipe in Calgary, Canada with a score of 93.20, reports the BBC.
Gus is only the third GB Snowsport athlete to win a world cup event in halfpipe after Rowan Cheshire in 2014 and Zoe Atkin in December of last year. He made his comeback at X Games Aspen and then took silver on the modified pipe at Dew Tour, Mammouth, last weekend.
Following the win Olympic silver medallist Kenworthy said:
“It was amazing to come out and get my first win in the World Cup halfpipe and do it under the flag of GB Snowsports. I’ve been fortunate to have many podiums but I have a win like this to start off my second career so to speak has just been amazing and the level of skiing tonight was the best we’ve ever seen.”
Vicky Gosling, Chief Executive Officer of GB Snowsport, said:
“We are delighted for Gus and his team. We have been working closely with him now for a few months and his transition back to snow has been great.”