Freeskiing
Italian stars shine as Markus Eder and Arianna Tricomi win FWT world titles
With Freeride World Tour overall world titles up for grabs, the famous Bec Des Rosses once again delivered at the Xtreme Verbier in Switzerland on Saturday.
Part of this story
In the women’s freeski event the overall crown went to Arianna Tricomi, who was looking to land back-to-back titles, with American Jacqueline Pollard and Norway's Hedvig Wessel aiming to overtake her.
Tricomi didn’t falter though, as she put together a classy run of 81 to finish second behind Switzerland's Elisabeth Gerritzen and seal the overall title with 9100 points from Pollard and Gerritzen.
After taking the title the 26-year-old revealed: "Snow conditions weren’t the easiest. I’m just so happy I made it down and seeing Elisabeth [Gerritzen] in first was the scenario I was hoping for. I had my line three days ago. I stayed true to my style and it worked."
Eder, Tricomi and Turdell on the podium in Verbier
© Adam Klingeteg/Red Bull Content Pool
Tricomi drops a cliff during her run
© Adam Klingeteg / Red Bull Content Pool
Eder backflips
© Adam Klingeteg/Red Bull Content Pool
The champions embrace
© Adam Klingeteg/Red Bull Content Pool
And Markus Eder made it an Italian double when the only man that could prevent Eder from taking the men’s freeski overall title, Kristofer Turdell, finished in second place to Frenchman Wadeck Gorak.
That meant that Eder was able to relax on his run, with the pressure off, and Eder came home in sixth place, behind Goran, Turdell and Leo Slemett, which was enough to see him crowned overall FTW champ again with 8.700 total points – almost 1,000 ahead of Turdell in second.
In the women's snowboarding, France's Marion Haerty produced a superb run, consisting of a massive 360 and a technical double drop to add a record fourth win to her season. Haerty had already secured the 2019 overall FWT title, but she capped an extraordinary season with victory at the iconic Bec Des Rosses, adding a second FWT title to her 2017 crown. Anna Orlova of Russia took second place, sending all the cliffs with fluidity and style, while last year's world champion Manuela Mandl (Austria) completed the podium.
The men's overall snowboarding FWT title went the way of France's Victor De Le Rue, who finished in third place at the Bec Des Rosses behind Xtreme Verbier champion Jonathan Penfield (USA), whose run contained a series of huge airs, including a backside 360. De Le Rue and Penfield were split by three-time FWT champion Sammy Luebke (USA), who took second place thanks to a run featuring a massive air in a steep and technical zone, followed up with a smooth 360 and yet another big air. Luebke also took second in the overall title race, ahead of compatriot Davey Baird in third.
Freeride World Tour men's final overall freeski standings:
- Markus Eder (Italy) 8,700 pts
- Kristofer Turdell (Sweden) 7,780
- Leo Slemett (France) 7,380
Freeride World Tour women's final overall freeski standings:
- Arianna Tricomi (Italy) 9,100 pts
- Jacqueline Pollard (USA) 8,480
- Elisabeth Gerritzen (Switzerland) 8,260
Freeride World Tour women's final overall snowboard standings:
- Marion Haerty (France) 7,500 pts
- Anna Orlova (Russia) 6,900
- Manuela Mandl (Austria) 6,160
Freeride World Tour men's final overall snowboard standings:
- Victor De Le Rue (France) 7,200 pts
- Sammy Luebke (USA) 6,380
- Davey Baird (USA) 6,160
Part of this story