"On a big day for Australia's Olympic hopes, James sent a clear message to rivals as he won the prestigious Laax Open in Switzerland for a third consecutive time and fifth time in total, while young countryman Valentino Guseli was third. The 31-year-old James scored 98.75 points for his spectacular second run to claim Saturday's victory ahead of New Zealand's surprise packet Campbell Melville Ives (91.00) and Calgary World Cup winner Guseli (80.25) the first Oceania podium sweep in FIS history."
"I've been working on some things and this year is a tough year. It's amazing competition. We had two Aussies and a Kiwi on the podium which is unbelievable. The Japanese are riding amazing so you've got to put your best foot forward this year to get a sniff of the podium I'm pumped. We are probably going to be in for one of the most exciting, thrilling and competitive Olympics in history among the whole field in the halfpipe"
"As the last rider of the night and needing a score better than 91 points to better Melville Ives, James pulled out all the stops, finished off his winning run with a two-trick combination that had never been done in competition before. The thumping win was a big boost for four-time Olympian James, who will be aiming to better the bronze medal he won in Pyeongchang 2018 and his silver in Beijing 2022 at next month's Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics."
Scotty James won the Laax Open halfpipe event in Switzerland with a second-run score of 98.75, his third consecutive and fifth overall victory at the event. James finished ahead of New Zealand's Campbell Melville Ives (91.00) and Valentino Guseli (80.25), producing the first Oceania podium sweep in FIS history. As the final rider, James delivered a two-trick combination never before performed in competition to secure the win. The victory serves as a major confidence boost for the four-time Olympian ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, where he will pursue an Olympic gold to improve on previous bronze and silver medals. James described the field as exceptionally competitive and expressed excitement for the upcoming Games.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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