Milan: Snowboarder Lee Chaeun finished in sixth place in the men's halfpipe event at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday, as his late-gasp rally wasn't enough to put him on the podium.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee, 19, scored 87.50 points in the final at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, some 140 kilometers north of Milan. Yuto Totsuka of Japan claimed the gold medal with 95.00 points, while Scotty James secured the silver with 93.50 points. Ryusei Yamada, another Japanese athlete, took the bronze medal with 92.00 points.
The competition saw Lee and 11 other finalists each performing three times, with only the best score counting as their final score. The scoring system involved discarding the highest and lowest of the six judges' scores after each run. Lee recorded his best score during the third run after unsuccessful attempts in his initial two runs.
In the halfpipe event, snowboarders perform acrobatic spins, flips, and board grabs on a 22-foot, U-shaped structure, with judges evaluating the difficulty, height, and execution of the moves. Lee, who is the 2023 world champion and the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic gold medalist, faced challenges during his runs. He fell while attempting to land a frontside triple cork 1620 in his first run, earning only 24.75 points.
During the second run, a wobbly landing on a frontside double cork 1440 with a tail grab cost him momentum, resulting again in a score of 24.75 points. Despite the setbacks, Lee successfully executed all five moves in his final run, including the challenging frontside triple cork 1620, but his score of 87.50 points wasn't sufficient to secure a podium finish.
Lee expressed disappointment with his score, expecting a higher valuation for his performance. He was observed shedding tears afterward and shared his thoughts during media availability, stating, "I expected 92.00 or 92.50 points with my third run. But I just wasn't good enough. I am still proud of having landed this trick."
Reflecting on his preparation for the Olympics, Lee acknowledged the need for even greater effort in the future. "I thought I had prepared really hard for this Olympics but I guess it was good enough only for me," he remarked. "If my blood and tears aren't enough, I will shed blood, sweat and tears. I want to get to the top of the podium at the next Olympics."
The event was highly competitive, with four boarders achieving scores in the 90s. Lee noted, "Everyone went crazy," and expressed determination to elevate his performance for future competitions. Lee's event followed the success of fellow South Korean boarder Choi Gaon, who won the women's halfpipe gold medal just a day earlier.