Canadian snowboarder Laurie Blouin wins World Cup slopestyle gold
Victory marks 3rd career win and 14th podium appearance for Quebec City native
Canada's Laurie Blouin won a gold medal at a World Cup women's snowboard slopestyle event in Aspen, Colo., on Saturday.
The Quebec City native was in sixth place after her first run, but scored 81.21 in her final run to win the event.
The win marks the third World Cup slopestyle victory of Blouin's career and her 14th podium appearance. It’s also her first on the World Cup circuit since March of 2022.
The Canadian went into Saturday's final feeling confident while other athletes tried to lock down berths for February's Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy
"I was just here to have fun and not have any pressure, and that's what I did," Blouin said.
"I'm pretty much qualified for the Olympics, so I came here to just get the nerve back."
Japanese snowboarders Mari Fukada (77.26) and Kokomo Murase (75.36) took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
On the men’s field, Francis Jobin of Quebec City was the top Canadian, finishing in 12th.
Jake Canter of the United States took gold ahead of Yiming Su in second and Dane Menzies of New Zealand in third.
With files from The Canadian Press
