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Cam Melville Ives has qualified for the Snowboard Halfpipe finals after a confident performance under the lights at the Livigno Olympic Halfpipe. Cool temperatures and calm conditions ensured the pipe was running fast, ready for some big hits.
There was no messing around, with the entire field coming out swinging, pulling out some huge tricks and boosting high above the pipe.
Judging in the halfpipe discipline follows the acronym PAVED, which stands for progression, amplitude, variety, execution and difficulty. Judges look for progression through bigger, bolder and more creative tricks; amplitude in how far riders boost above the 7-metre walls of the pipe; and variety by spinning and grabbing the board in different directions. Execution is assessed on how clean and controlled a rider makes their run from top to bottom, while difficulty reflects the technical challenge of each trick.
Seventh to take his turn, 19-year-old Melville Ives did not hold back, unleashing one of the biggest tricks of the competition — a triple cork 1440 — on his fourth of five hits. The judges rewarded him with a score of 84.75, which would see him sitting in sixth after run one of two. The top 12 would advance to the final, and competitors would have two runs to earn their ticket through.
On his second run, Melville Ives landed slightly heel-heavy on his second hit, losing momentum and unable to complete the rest of his planned run. Without improving on his first-run score, the Kiwi faced a tense wait as the remainder of the field attempted to climb the leaderboard — several riders now adding triples of their own in a bid to secure a finals berth.
Going big straight out of the gate paid off in the end. Only a handful of riders were able to edge past Melville Ives’s first-run score, and he wrapped up qualification in eighth place — securing his spot in the finals.
“It feels pretty sweet,” said Melville Ives. “I was pretty happy with my first run, I wished I could have landed the second one.”
While satisfied to have got the job done, it was clear that the young Kiwi had more to give and would be looking to finals to pull out something even bigger and better.
“I wished I could have shown my best snowboarding today, but it’s enough for finals, which is awesome,” he said. “I’ve got some little things that I can add, which is sweet.”
NZ coach Tom Willmott added his thoughts: “There was a really high level tonight, which we knew was coming. The pipe was riding really, really well, and Cam was on fire, so it was a good night out, and he got the job done. He was planning on stepping things up a little bit on the second run, it didn’t quite work out, but he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve, and it’ll definitely be more fireworks in finals.
“The buzz is so good amongst the New Zealand Team, it’s been phenomenal, every single athlete has just been giving their all, it’s a really good culture, a really good vibe amongst the crew. Messages are snowballing from one athlete to the next, Luca talking about how Lyon helped him in the start gate with the pressure of that third run, things like that you just can’t buy.”
Looking ahead to the finals competition, Willmott stressed, “We’re focusing on performances, and the results will speak for themselves.”
“Anything can happen on the day,” said Melville Ives. “I’m just here to land my own run.”