BRONZE FOR KATIE ORMEROD
17th January 2020 | Jane Peel, Chief Reporter
Last modified on May 16th, 2021
The British snowboarder has her first World Cup slopestyle podium in almost four years. It’s another sign that she’s back on form after serious injury.
The 22-year-old took the bronze medal at the prestigious Laax Open in Switzerland on Friday morning.
She finished behind Julia Marino of the USA, who was first, and Reira Iwabuchi of Japan in second.
Iwabuchi was the final rider to go and overtook Ormerod, who had been sitting in second place.
It was Ormerod’s first slopestyle World Cup for more than two years and her first podium in the event since March 2016 when she was second in the Czech Republic.
She had announced her return from injury in style in Cardrona, New Zealand, in August when she was second in the World Cup Big Air contest.
The result in Laax is a clear indication that she is back among the best in the slopestyle discipline as well.
Ormerod had her hopes of Winter Olympic glory dashed when she split her heel in two in training at her first Games in Pyeongchang in February 2018.
She was out of action for a year and had to have seven operations.
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It’s great to see her back where she belongs.
Watch her first and best run which gave her the bronze medal:
What a run by @OrmerodKatie!
The GB boarder picks up World Cup Bronze in the Laax Open Slopestyle
? @GBSnowsport @snowparklaax #GBSnowboard pic.twitter.com/X9I04MJWfQ
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) January 17, 2020
There was another podium for GB Snowsport on Friday.
Menna Fitzpatrick and her guide Gary Smith won silver in the visually impaired slalom at the Para Alpine World Cup in Prato Nevoso, Italy.
GB ATHLETES IN ACTION THIS WEEKEND:
Alpine – World Cup Events
FIS World Cup – Wengen (Switzerland) – 18th & 19th January – DH and SL
GB Competing Athletes:
Roy Steudle (DH 18th)
Dave Ryding (SL 19th)
FIS World Cup – Sestriere (Italy) – 18th & 19th January – GS (18th) + PGS (19th)
GB Competing Athletes:
Alex Tilley (competing in both GS & PGS)
Alpine – Europa Cup Events
FIS Europa Cup – Zell am See (Austria) – 17th January – Slalom
GB Competing Athletes:
Charlie Guest
FIS Europa Cup – Kirchberg (Austria) – 18th & 19th January – GS
GB Competing Athletes:
Charlie Raposo
Leo Karavasili
Ski Cross
FIS World Cup – Nakiska (Canada) – 17th & 18th January – GS (18th) + PGS (19th)
GB Competing Athletes:
Ollie Davies (quals 17th and finals 18th)
Cross Country
FIS World Cup – Nove Mesto (Canada) – 18th January (10 km F, 15km F) & 19th January (10km C Pursuit. 15km C Pursuit)
GB Competing Athletes:
Andrew Young
Freestyle ski
FIS World Cup – Seiseralm (Italy) – 17th January
GB Competing Athletes:
Katie Summerhayes, Tyler Harding, Chris McCormick, James Pouch
Plus, there are young GB athletes competing at the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Switzerland this weekend and in the coming week.
They are Kirsty Muir, Jasper Klein and Scott Johns (freestyle ski), Sam Bolton (ski jumping), Molly Jefferies and James Slimon (cross country) and Mani Cooper, the first British female athlete to compete in the Nordic Combined (ski jumping and cross country) at an Olympic event.
