Three U.S. Olympic Snowboarders Secure Spots in Women's Slopestyle Final

The reigning gold medalist in the event, Jamie Anderson, qualified for the final with her fifth-place finish

Published on February 5, 2022 08:52 AM

Team USA has three chances for a medal in the women's slopestyle snowboarding event.

After this weekend's qualifying event, American Jamie Anderson placed fifth, with a best score of 74.35, to secure a spot in the slopestyle final. Right behind her, in sixth, was Julia Marino, with a best score of 71.78. Hailey Langland also qualified with her best score of 68.71, placing in ninth.

Heading into the final — which will be held Saturday night (Eastern) — New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski Synnott was the athlete to beat, with a best score of 86.75.

Anderson, 31, is the defending gold medalist in the event, winning in Sochi in 2014 and again in PyeongChang in 2018. Marino, 24, is an Olympics first-timer, while Langland, 21, competed in 2018 and placed sixth in slopestyle.

After the race, Marino posted on her Instagram Story, saying that it "Meant so much to land a run today, hyped to be going to the finals tomorrow with my pals."

In her own posts on her Instagram Story, Anderson said ahead of her runs that she was "Excited, nervous, emotional, ready to shred! How I'm feeling this morning…"

After, she told her followers she was "so happy to make finals. This s--- is more nerve-racking than any other event. Period."

In a later series of video messages also on her Instagram Story, Anderson said she is "so thankful I was able to pull it together and at least put down a mellow run happy to qualify fifth" after falling the day prior.

Hailey Langland. Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

"And really excited for the finals tomorrow thank you all for the love and support," she added in the clips, during which she was recovering with a towel on her head.

Ahead of competing, Anderson spoke about the use of artificial snow on the course, telling USA Today that it "feels like bulletproof ice."

"It's been very firm," Anderson said. "I think the majority of it is artificial snow so it's not quite ideal, but I would say we are all making the most of it."

To learn more about Team USA, visit TeamUSA.org. Watch the Winter Olympics, now, and the Paralympics, beginning March 4, on NBC.