Fuller insists slopestyle riders were in danger
All that striving, all that effort, four years of commitment and dedication binned in a barely legal women’s snowboard slopestyle final.
A competition that was already postponed by 24 hours due to strong winds went ahead after a further 75-minute delay on day two in conditions some thought even worse.
Of the first round only five of 25 runs were clean. Of the second only four riders made it in one piece. The course resembled a breakers yard, the carcasses of the slain bouncing down the piste, rendered helpless by cross winds strong enough to rip a roof off.
Poor Aimee Fuller, clean as a whistle on her second run until the wind tossed her about like a rag doll after taking to the air off the final ramp.
“Absolutely devastated,” Fuller said. “I don’t feel like I had a fair shot at putting down my best run. The wind just took me sideways on that last hit. I’m glad that I walked away from it. And it hurt.”
Dutch Rider Cheryl Maas claimed the event should not have taken place. “This is not a showcase for women’s snowboarding, it’s a lottery,” she said. It was a view that gained plenty of traction.
Austria’s Anna Gasser, who crashed on both runs, said: “I don’t think it was a fair competition and I’m a little disappointed in the organisation that they pulled through with it. From my point of view I think it was not a good show for women’s snowboarding.
“A competition should be fair, especially on that stage. So many people got hurt because of the wind. There were a lot of other people that I think they could have showed their best riding and today they couldn’t.
“Even yesterday the practice we did in the morning was dangerous. It was a really good decision for them to not do it yesterday, even though I think it was less windy than today.”
Jenny Jones, who returned Britain’s only Olympic medal on snow four years ago in Sochi, echoed the sentiment from the safety of the BBC commentary box.
“It was definitely questionable. Usually the coaches and judges have a chat and make a decision at the top of the slope,” Jone said. “I wonder what went on in that conversation and why someone didn’t say let’s postpone this. In my mind I would have liked it to be postponed.”
For all the criticism the event returned worthy winners, with the strongest girls claiming the podium places.
Jamie Anderson of the United States retained the title she won in Sochi, silver medalist Laurie Blouin of Canada is the current world champion and Finland’s Enni Rukajarvi added bronze to the silver she won four years ago.
But that does not justify putting competitors at risk on the same day the women’s giant slalom was postponed, and 24 hours after the men’s downhill was canned because of the conditions, and in neither of those events are the skiers required to jump over houses upside down.
“I think today was a matter of luck and the strong riders definitely showed,” Fuller said. “But not even the top riders have necessarily landed the best runs. I think it’s not the best show of women’s slopestyle at all.
“If you got a drop in the wind you could get through and have a cruisy run. In general, I think for the most part everyone struggled. And I’m happy to see everyone’s in one piece.”