Snowboarder Salač was fifth in Big Air during his debut at the World Championships in Bakuriani

Illustration photo – SP competitions in snowboarding (slopestyle), March 19, 2022 in Špindlerův Mlýn in Trutnovsk. Kristián Salač from the Czech Republic.

Bakuriani (Georgia) – Kristián Salač took fifth place in the Big Air discipline on his debut at the World Championships. The twenty-one-year-old talent took care of the best Czech men's result in freestyle snowboarding in the history of the championships in Bakuriani, Georgia.

Advertisement'; }

After two jumps out of three, Salač was even third continuously and attacking for the second Czech medal in acrobatic snowboarding. In 2011, Šárka Pančochová became the vice-champion of the world in slopestyle. However, Salač did not stop the final jump and did not improve his point gain, and two opponents overtook him. Even so, the debutant at the World Championships beat the seventh place of Jan Nečas from slopestyle in 2015.

The title was won by the 17-year-old Japanese Taiga Hasegawa, who scored 177.25 points for the best two out of three attempts. Norwegian Mons Röisland lost twenty points and won silver, just like last year at the Olympic Games. Swiss Nicolas Huber finished third (150.50). Salač received 116.50 points from the judges.

Among the women, Austrian star Anna Gasserová confirmed the role of the biggest favorite. The reigning two-time Olympic champion won her second world gold in her excellent discipline.

Fifteen-year-old Vanessa Volopichová took ninth place, narrowly failing to advance to the eight-member final from Thursday's qualification. Thirty-two-year-old Pančochová was fourteenth.

Results of the WC in acrobatic skiing and snowboarding

Snowboarding:

Big Air:

Men: 1. Hasegawa (Japan) 177.25, 2. Röisland (Nor.) 157.25, 3. Huber (Switzerland) 150.50, …5. Salač 116.50, 27. Hroneš (both Czech Republic) did not advance from the qualification.

Women: 1. Gasserová (Austria) 162.50, 2. Onicukaová (Japan) 161.25, 3. Coadyová (Austria) 153.25, …9. Volopichová, 14. Pančochová (both Czech Republic) did not advance from qualification.

Skiing:

U-ramp:

Men: < 1. Mackay (Can.) 97.25, 2. Sallinen (Fin.) 95.75, 3. Ferreira (USA) 93.00.