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Dane Menzies has finished seventh in the men’s Snowboard Slopestyle final, the 20-year-old competing in a stacked 12-man field that included past Olympic medallists and seasoned contenders.
Looking to back up his qualifying result with a top-scoring run across the six rail and jump features at Livigno Snow Park, Menzies opened strongly. Once again showcasing technicality on the rail section, he then linked together a strong jump line with a backside 1600 to double cork 1440, rounded off with a backside 1660. His score of 76.10 would see him sitting fifth after the first round.
On run two, Menzies slipped off the rail section up top, resulting in a throwaway attempt. Despite the misstep, he remained fifth on 76.10, with the podium tantalisingly close — just 0.85 points separating him from the bronze medal position at that stage.
Heading into the final round, everything was still to play for. Experienced campaigners such as Norway’s Mons Røisland and Marcus Kleveland had yet to post complete scores and remained threats to the podium.
Jake Canter (USA) raised the stakes on his final run, landing a backside 1980 to move into third place with 79.36 — the new benchmark for bronze. Marcus Kleveland then surged from 12th into fourth with a creative and technically demanding run, pushing Menzies down to seventh.
Last to drop on the final run, Menzies needed just over three points to shake up the podium. Knowing that he had some of the strongest rail tricks in the field, he dropped in with intent, but an early slip would bring his medal charge to an abrupt end. He would finish seventh.
“I’m super-bummed,” admitted Menzies straight after the competition. “The first run was pretty good, but a few things didn’t go right. I was kind of stoked, but fifth place isn’t really where you want to be. I had the best rail line, but it just wasn’t clean enough. It hurts for sure.
“I’m definitely looking forward to the next one (Olympics) already. I’m super happy to represent New Zealand as well, and my family, it makes me proud.”
Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle medals
Gold: Su Yiming (CHN)
Silver: Hasegawa Taiga (JPN)
Bronze: Jake Canter (USA)