Ledeux takes fourth Font Romeu win, Ragettli triumphant in comeback competition
Jan 17, 2022·Freeski Park & Pipe
The final FIS Freeski World Cup competition before we head off to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games took to the slopes of France’s Font Romeu resort on Sunday morning, where home-country favourite Tess Ledeux took her fourth career win at the venue in the women’s competition, Andri Ragettli made a triumphant return to competition with the men’s win, and several other skiers had career-first World Cup podiums.
LEDEUX LOCKS DOWN FOURTH CAREER FONT ROMEU WIN
On the women’s side there seemed little doubt as to who would take top spot in Sunday’s competition, as Ledeux came into Font Romeu with three wins in four previous starts at her home-soil competition, and would be dropping in against a field missing a number of top-competitors as many athletes elected to get some rest ahead of the Games.
Ledeux was in a league of her own throughout the two days of competition in Font Romeu, locking in the top qualification score and then putting down two stomped runs - both of which were more than 10 points better than her closest competitors.
Her best of the day was her first, where she scored an 86.46 for a run that started off with a switch left bio 900 Japan, into a corked left 900 tail, and then a switch right bio 900 safety grab to finish off the jump line, before then stomping a left slide to backside 450 safety out on the cannon rail, into a switch right on to frontside 270 out on the next rail, and finally finishing things off with a switch right two on to switch on the final rail feature.
The win was Ledeux’s third World Cup podium of the season to go along with her big air win in Chur (SUI) and her big air runner-up in Steamboat, and with her Font Romeu result she now moves up to third place on the Freeski overall World Cup standings.
“The course skied so well today,” said Ledeux after her win, “I’m so happy to land my first and second run, and to do it in France it’s just incredible.”
Second place for the women was U.S. skier Marin Hamill, who grabbed her first career World Cup podium with her performance. Skiing stylishly and confidently, Hamill scored 73.56 for her second run of finals, which saw her lead off with a left 540 mute into switch left 540 Japan combo, and later link a right slide backside 270 to left slide frontside 270 off combo through the rails.
Coming in third to round out the women’s podium was Lara Wolf (AUT), as the 21-year-old also grabbed her first career World Cup podium. However, Wolf’s stylish run, which included a switch left bio 900 safety on the final jump into a right slide backside 270 out on the cannon rail, probably would have had her into second place had she not gotten a little loose on the final rail feature and lost considerable points.
Despite not competing in Font Romeu, Estonia’s Kelly Sildaru remains atop the women’s sloepstyle rankings with 200 points, though Hamill with her second-place finish has closed the gap considerably, and now sits in second place behind Sildaru with 136 points.
RAGETTLI TRIUMPHANT IN RETURN FROM KNEE INJURY
Over on the men’s side of things we saw what was a near miraculous return to competition by Andri Ragettli, the reigning slopestyle World Champion who followed up that gold-medal performance in Aspen last season with a heavy crash in the big air competition, damaging the MCL and tearing the PCL in his left knee.
Less then 10 months post-surgery, however, Ragettli was back on the World Cup scene in Font Romeu, getting some competition reps in with less than three weeks to go before the start of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
While Ragettli had been a slopestyle gold medal favourite (and a serious threat in big air) before his injury, up until Sunday it was anybody’s guess as to what level he would be at in time for the start of the big show in China.
As it turns out, the level Ragettli has returned at could be classified as Very High.
The top men’s qualifier from Thursday, Ragettli dropped in last on the first run and laid down a scorcher, kicking things off with a switch left double misty 1260 mute, followed by a massive left triple 1440 safety on jump two, and then a right double 1260 double Japan on the final jump.
Through the rails Ragettli then went with a left 270 on to conturing 630 off on the kicker rail, to a right k-fed on the down-flat-down tube, before finishing things off with a left k-fed transfer on the final rail feature.
The win was the ninth of Ragettli’s career, which moves the 23-year-old into sole possession of the number one spot on the all-time FIS Freeski World Cup wins rankings.
“I hurt my knee at the World Champs almost 10 months ago,” a smiling Ragettli said from the finish, “I”ve been rehabbing. It was a lot of hard work and it just feels so good to be back skiing. This was my comeback competition and I won…It’s just amazing. I’m so thankful to be back skiing, because that’s what I love to do.”
As with the women, second and third places for the men were both earned by skiers landing on their first career World Cup podiums.
In second with a score of 82.71 was New Zealand’s Ben Barclay, as the 19-year-old continues to improve and impress in what has been a breakout season for himself.
Barclay’s 82.71-scoring second run started out heavy, with a right dub 1260 mute to switch left dub 1620 mute on the first two jumps, before he stomped a rail line that was highlighted by a left slide frontside 630 off on the kicker rail and super clean switch left 270 on blind-up 270 off on the down-flat-down tube.
Grabbing third place and the final first-time World Cup podium on a day that was full of them was Canada’s Edouard Therriault.
Therriault has hit the top three in a major international competition before, as he went straight to the big time when he grabbed a bronze medal in big air at the Aspen 2021 World Championships.
Now, however, he’s got the maiden World Cup top-3 marked off the career checklist, after stomping a first run that featured a switch left dub bio 1260 indy truckdriver on the second hit, a switch left slide to corked 450 off on the kicker rail, and a left slide to back 3-up continuing 270 off on the down-flat-down tube, earning him a score of 81.71 and a well-deserved first World Cup podium.
On the men’s side of things it’s Fabian Boesch (SUI) leading the World Cup slopestyle standings with 114 points, just above the U.S. duo of Alex Hall and Nick Goepper, who have 111 and 104 points respectively. New Zealand’s Barcaly, meanwhile, has moved into fourth place with 102 points.
With Font Romeu in the bag it’s now time to start focusing on the big show that’s looming on the horizon, as the Opening Ceremony at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games is set to take place in less than three-weeks’ time, on February 4th.
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