White and Hirano headline halfpipe season-opener in Copper Mountain
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For the men on hand this week, one rider for certain to keep an eye on is Ayumu Hirano (JPN), the only Japanese winner in the Copper Mountain event’s history after claiming top spot back in 2017/18.
A two-time Olympic silver medallist, Hirano is set to drop in on his and his first major international competition since finishing second at PyeongChang 2019, making this his first top-tier event in almost four years. However, despite his extended break away from the action, signs suggest that he, along with his teammates Yuto Totsuka and Ruka Hirano, is one asset in the very real possibility of a Japanese podium sweep this week…but, you should check out the season preview linked above for more info on that.
Switzerland’s Patrick Burgener is also a past Copper winner who’s on hand this week, dropping in on his first competition since blowing his knee last season. Where exactly he’s at performance-wise remains to be seen, but seeing him stomping some lofty doubles in training was encouraging.
Last, but most certainly not least, we come to the man that needs no introduction – Shaun White.
White returned to competition last season at the Aspen World Cup for the first time since winning his third Olympic gold medal at PyeongChang 2018, and he promptly proceeded to reassert himself amongst the snowboard world’s elite with a fourth-place finish.
He’s now committed himself in a bid to earn what would be an almost unfathomable fifth career Olympic spot. Though at 35 he’s literally twice the age of some of his competitors this week, White proved with his performance in Aspen last March that the fire within still burns brightly and that his skills remain sharp.
White has one career podium here in Copper, a third-place finish at the same 2017/18 competition won by his longtime rival Ayumu Hirano. Were he able to once again hit the top-3 this Saturday, the living legend would add another epic chapter to one of the most incredible stories that snowboarding has ever known.
WHERE TO WATCH LIVE SNOWBOARD:
EUROSPORT PLAYER, PEACOCK, CBC SPORTS STREAMING, VIAPLAY, VIASAT SPORT, ARENA, JSPORT 1, ESPN STAR+, VSPORT3, V SPORT HOCKEY
QUICK LINKS:
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