Queenstown teen wins bronze medal in halfpipe at junior world championships

QUEENSTOWN freeskier Ruby Andrews won a bronze medal in the halfpipe at the FIS Junior World Championships in Leysin, Switzerland yesterday.

Andrews (14), a member of Snow Sports New Zealand’s national development squad, was one of the youngest in the field.

‘‘I really didn’t see it coming as all of the girls were skiing so well in practice,’’ she said of finishing on the podium.

My first run went really well. I landed all my tricks so decided I would put in a new trick — a 720 — that I had never landed before.

‘‘I’m so stoked!’’

Briton Constance Brogden won the gold medal and Russia’s Iaroslavna Muntian the silver.

Wanaka’s Luca Harrington had a solid finish in the men’s halfpipe, finishing fifth.

He called it ‘‘as one of the best moments in my skiing career so far.’’

Harrington (14) was able to improve his score by nine points with his second run.

He had met his goal ‘‘to land the run I’d been training for and come away with a good score and placing’’.

Gustav Legnavsky faced a challenging situation, when a technical failure led to his first run not being scored and he was unable to land his subsequent runs.

United States athletes dominated the men’s freeski halfpipe podium.

Connor Ladd was first, Carey Hunter second, and Aaron Durlester third.