Sadowski-Synnott settles for silver in Big Air

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has won her second medal of the Beijing Winter Olympics with a big performance in the women’s snowboard Big Air final.

Snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott continues to make Winter Olympics history for New Zealand.
Photo: AFP

The 20-year-old from Wanaka had the benefit of dropping in as the final rider knowing exactly what she needed to do to secure a gold medal at the Big Air Shougang course.

And she could not get the better of defending Big Air champion Anna Gasser from Austria. Having to settle for the silver medal.

Gasser claimed the gold medal with a total of 185.50 and Sadowski-Synnott had a total of 177.00

Japanese rider Kokomo Murase rounded out the podium with a total of 171.50.

Gasser was the seventh rider to drop in on the first run and landed a double 1080 with a score of 90 to set the bar for the top qualifiers to chase.

Sadowski-Synnott was up to the challenge and her double cork 1080 was enough to send her to the top of the standings after all 12 riders had had their first run with a score of 93.25.

Gasser impressed again on her second jump, recording a 86.75, but Murase’s 91.50 was the target for Sadowski-Synnott to beat. The New Zealander stayed at the top of the standings with her combined score despite her 83.75 being only the fifth best score of the second run.

On the final run Gasser did a cab double cork 1260 for a strong total of 95.50 and Sadowski-Synnott attempting a 1260 fell on her landing.

Three-time Winter Olympic medallist Sadowski-Synnott was the top qualifier for the final after she recorded the best trick in qualifying on Monday with a combined score of 176.50.

Sadowski-Synnott’s dad, Sean Synnott, said ahead of the final his daughter’s confidence would be high.

One of Sadowski-Synnott’s closest rivals, double Olympic medallist Jamie Anderson of the United States, failed to qualify for the finals.

At 31, Anderson said she is not retiring right now but wanted to take some time off for herself after the Olympics.

Zoi Sadowski Synnott raises the New Zealand flag in the women’s slopestyle snowboarding final during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Earlier in the Games Sadowski-Synnott claimed New Zealand’s first Winter Olympics gold medal with victory in the snowboard slopestyle.

In her Olympic debut in 2018 as a 16-year-old Sadowski-Synnott finished with the bronze medal in the Big Air.