ASPEN — Coaches weren’t willing to call the Winter X Games snowboard superpipe competition a dress rehearsal for the Vancouver Olympics. But the final contest before the biggest event in winter sports this winter could not have gone better for American athletes going to the show.
American Olympic team riders Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark and Hannah Teter once again established their dominance with a sweep of the X Games podium Saturday.
Bleiler, the Olympic silver medalist in 2006, squeezed out a victory over three-time Olympian and 2002 gold medalist Clark, 96.66 points to 96.00.
Teter, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, finished third at 70.00.
Bleiler and Clark relied on big 900s and amplitude above the 12-foot mark. But Bleiler’s signature “Crippler 720” seemed to make the difference as the top-seeded Clark couldn’t close the gap on her final lap through the pipe.
“I was just happy to land the run I set out to do, especially after falling on that second run,” Clark said afterward.
The potential prelude to competition in Vancouver on Feb. 18 lacked perhaps the strongest international competitor in Australia’s Torah Bright, the gold medalist from Winter X 13 who established the highest women’s superpipe score in X Games history (97.00) last year. Still, riders agreed the strong U.S. showing bodes well.
“I think we all take in a lot of momentum, standing on the podium at a high-profile event, especially like the X Games,” Clark said.
Scott Willoughby, The Denver Post
