Fagan Earns Second Youth Olympic Games Medal
U.S. Freeski Pro Team member Kiernan Fagan earned his second medal of the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 with a silver medal in big air.
"It definitely was an awesome day," said Kiernan. "I'm really stoked to back up my slopestyle gold with another medal in big air! I was super hyped to throw down one of my biggest tricks (triple cork 1440 mute). The energy was really high today and it was amazing to see everyone send it."
Kiernan landed two very technical tricks including a switch double cork 1440 blunt and triple cork 1440 mute. Teammate Hunter Henderson, who joined Kiernan on the podium in slopestyle, just missed the podium, finishing fourth overall. Matej Svancer of the Czech Republic won the event and Orest Kovalenko of Ukraine earned the bronze.
For the women, American Jenna Riccomini, who was selected as Team USA’s flag bearer for the Closing Ceremony, finished in a respectable fifth place ahead of teammate Riley Jacobs in eighth. Chinese freeskier Eileen Gu Ailing edged ahead of Kirst Muir of Great Britain for the gold and Sweden’s Jennie-Lee Burmansson finished in third place.
In snowboard big air, Americans earned three top-ten finishes. U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team members Dusty Henricksen and Ty Schnorrbusch landed in fourth and fifth place respectively. In addition, American Will Healy finished in sixth-place.
For the men, Japanese riders Kimata Ryoma and teammate Kawakami Aoto won gold and silver respectively. The bronze went to Canada’s Liam Brearley, his third medal of the Games. For the women, Japanese rider Hinari Asanuma won the event, Annika Morgan of Germany earned the silver medal, and Melissa Peperkamp of the Netherlands completed the podium with the bronze.
Combined, U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Team athletes earned a total of six medals in slopestyle, halfpipe, and big air competition at the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020. See a complete list of podium results below.
RESULTS
Men’s freeski big air
Women’s freeski big air
Men’s snowboard big air
Women’s snowboard big air
FREESKI & SNOWBOARD MEDALS
Kiernan Fagan: Men’s freeski slopestyle - Gold | Men’s freeski big air - Silver
Hunter Henderson - Men’s freeski slopestyle - Bronze
Hanna Faulhaber - Women’s freeski halfpipe - Bronze
Hunter Carey - Men’s freeski halfpipe - Silver
Dusty Henricksen - Men’s snowboard slopestyle - Gold
Kiernan Fagan in action during the Freestyle Skiing Men’s Freeski Big Air Finals at The Winter Youth Olympic Games. (OIS - Ben Queenborough)
Ty Schnorrbusch in action during the Snowboarding Women’s Big Air Finals at The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lausanne, Switzerland. (OIS - Ben Queenborough)
Riley Jacobs in action during the Freestyle Skiing Women’s Freeski Big Air Finals at The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lausanne, Switzerland. (OIS - Ben Queenborough)
Jenna Riccomini in action during the Freestyle Skiing Women’s Freeski Big Air Finals at The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lausanne, Switzerland. (OIS - Chloe Knott)
Will Healy in action during the Snowboarding Men’s Slopestyle at The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lausanne, Switzerland. (OIS - Simon Bruty)
Dusty Henricksen in action during the Snowboarding Men’s Big Air Finals at The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lausanne, Switzerland. (OIS - Ben Queenborough)
Hunter Henderson in action during the Freestyle Skiing Men’s Freeski Big Air Finals at The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lausanne, Switzerland. (OIS - Ben Queenborough)