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Hanna Faulhaber led the day for the U.S. Freeski Team with a third-place finish in the first halfpipe contest of the Calgary World Cup.
In classic Faulhaber fashion, she started off her runs with a straight air blunt – reaching an amplitude that is higher than most of the competitors on the circuit. Landing clean left cork nine’s and left seven mute’s, Faulhaber had what it took to land on the podium with Canada’s Rachael Karker and China’s Eileen Gu, who was back in competition after 11.5 months.
Teammate Riley Jacobs, who made the halfpipe finals for the first time in her career, finished the contest in sixth place. Jacobs, who did not fall once in her three runs through the finals, landed clean tricks throughout the entire pipe. Only 19 years old, Jacobs is hungry for more.
“I could not be more excited about tonight,” said Jacobs. “I put down one of my best runs and really felt like I was able to show what I have been working on. After not only making my first finals but bumping up to sixth place, I could not be more pumped. The vibes are mindblowing!”
On the men’s side, five men made the halfpipe finals, making up 50% of the finalists. Alex Ferreira led the way, finishing the evening in fourth place after being bumped out of third last minute. However, Ferreira’s third run was one of the highest of the days, but Canada’s Simon D’Artois edged him out of third place by less than a point, respectively. In the top ten, the U.S. men had a strong showing. In fifth was David Wise, sixth was Birk Irving, seventh was Aaron Blunk, and ninth for Hunter Hess. With the contest ending late into the evening, the athletes will have time to rest before the competition resumes on Jan. 21st.
RESULTS
