Gendron and Kimata win big air golds to close out 2019 junior world championships
Apr 14, 2019·Snowboard Park & Pipe
Klaeppen (SWE) - The final FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships competition of 2019 took to the skies above Klaeppen (SWE) on Saturday, where Sommer Gendron (CAN) and Ryoma Kimata (JPN) claimed gold medals in an impressive day of big air action.
Coming into the Klaeppen big air contest fresh off a slopestyle gold medal win earlier in the week, Gendron kept her elite level of riding rolling through the big air portion of the week, qualifying in second on Friday before stepping it up a notch for the win on Saturday.
Stomping a backside 720 mute on her first jump and following that up with a perfect cab 540 mute on her third jump, Gendron earned a two-run combined score of 163.00 points that had her head and shoulders above her nearest competitor, Annika Morgan (GER), giving the 18-year-old Canadian her second Klaeppen 2019 gold.
After qualifying in top spot, Morgan wasn’t quite able to match her level from Friday, putting down a backside 720 mute and a cab 540 tailgrab for a combined score of 147.75 that was just enough to grab her the silver medal.
Ladies’ bronze went to 15-year-old Evy Poppe of Belgium, who’s frontside 540 indy and cab 540 mute gave her a score of 145.75.
Over on the men’s side of things it was 16-year-old Ryoma Kimata of Japan wowing the crowd with some truly explosive riding, stomping a cab double cork 1260 indy with his second run and a jaw-dropping frontside triple cork 1440 mute for a two-run score of 186.75 and the gold medal.
Second place and the silver medal went to Kimata’s teammate Aoto Kawakami, as the 14-year-old rider landed a both a backside and a frontside double cork 1260 mute to earn a score of 176.25, capping off a strong day for the Japanese development team.
Third place, meanwhile, went to Canada’s William Buffey, as the junior men’s slopestyle gold medal-winner from earlier in the week earned his second piece of junior worlds hardware with a score of 168.25 for his cab double cork 1260 indy and a frontside double cork 1080 mute.
With the Klaeppen big air closing out this seasons junior world championships competitions, the Marc Hodler Trophy was awarded to the top nation across all junior world competitions. In an incredible tight battle, it would be the performances of Kimata and Kawakami elevating Japan into top spot with 102 points, just four points clear of Canada’s 98 points, with Russia rounding out the top three nations with 92 points.
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