Source: Radio New Zealand
Campbell Melville Ives takes second place on the podium, alongside winner Scotty James (Australia) and third Valentino Guseli (Australia). FIS/David Tributsch
Kiwi snowboarder Campbell Melville Ives has showcased a new triple jump sequence to secure silver in the halfpipe at the latest FIS World Cup in Switzerland.
The Winter Olympic-bound teen’s career-best run secured second place at the Laax Open, behind Australian winner Scotty James.
As rider after rider fell, the 19-year-old Wanaka athlete held his nerve during his two-triple run to score an impressive 91.00 mark from the the judges on run two.
The Kiwi moved to the top of the leaderboard, until four-time Olympian James achieved a mark of 98.75 to claim his fifth World Cup halfpipe victory.
James executed a triple cord and new switch backside on his second run for the top score. Fellow Aussie Valentino Guseli was third with 80.25.
On the way to his first World Cup podium, Melville Ives – twin brother of world freeski champion Finley Melville Ives – became the first athlete to land back-to-back triples in competition.
“The first run, I made a mistake early, when I hit a wrong edge and ran out of pipe at the end,” he said. “On the second run, I adjusted the trick into a single.
“I’ve been riding that pipe for so many years, so I just relaxed into the feeling of when it’s warm and sunny there, and that helped with the nerves.”
Coach Mitch Brown said landing back-to-back triple jumps in competition was a remarkable achievement.
“It’s the first time he’s landed that sequence and the first time an athlete has landed back-to-back triples in a competition, so we’re super proud of him, and he executed it with so much style and swagger,” Brown said.
“He’s been working so hard over a long period of time and was incredibly brave in firm night-time conditions to send it as hard as he did.”
Melville Ives next competes at the X-Games in Aspen in his build-up to next month’s Winter Olympics at Milano Cortina, Italy.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand