Source : ABC NEWS
Scotty James has fallen short of an elusive Olympic gold, instead claiming a second silver medal in the snowboard halfpipe.
Adding to what was an immensely dramatic final run, a cable from the overhead camera snapped during the closing stages of James’s final round effort, with fans scattering to get clear of the camera when it came to rest above them.
It was unlikely that it affected James, though, who had set up a grandstand finale but could not deliver at the most crucial moment of his career.
Chasing Yuta Totsuka’s massive second round score of 95.00, James was so close to the perfect run that may have delivered a long-sought golden fairytale finish.
But instead, his second run score of 93.50 gave him a second consecutive silver medal, which he accepted with tears in his eyes.
“I could cry, I’m holding back the tears a little bit,” James told Nine.
“I’m sorry to everyone back home. I wanted to win it for Australia. It sounds silly to apologise for winning an Olympic medal, but I came here knowing what I wanted to achieve.”
Val Guseli finished fifth as Totsuka claimed a deserved gold after a miraculous final run.
Valentino Guseli produced a magnificent effort to finish fifth in the men’s halfpipe final. (Reuters: Dylan Martinez)
The pressure was clearly on from the outset at a packed Livigno Snow Park for one of the most sought-after tickets of the Games.
After the immense quality of Wednesday’s qualifying, five of the first six competitors did not land a clean run as the early starters attempted outlandish tricks in order to give themselves a hope of competing against the sport’s biggest hitters.
Guseli was next. A 6.1-metre alley-oop nose grab promised plenty.
But even he couldn’t be clean, sitting down his final hit to be handed a cruel 35.00 points.
It was not until eighth rider Ruka Hirano stepped up that a clean, high-quality run was delivered, setting the early benchmark score of 90.00.
Ryusei Yamada then raised the bar with a supremely clean run — albeit one that looked like it had room to improve further — that earned him 92.00.
Yuto Totsuka continued the Japanese charge with a 91.00 to make it a Japanese 1-2-3 before James’s first run.
It looked sublime, perfectly executed for four hits until he overcooked his last 1440 Japan grab and agonisingly slipped down to the base of the run. He was awarded 48.75 when a score of more than 90 surely awaited him had he landed clean.
The second round followed a similar pattern until Ayumu Hirano landed a run with back-to-back 1440s and a first-ever 1620 that moved him into fourth behind his compatriots with 86.50.
Guseli missed his second hit of his second run to stay in 10th place, needing a last-run miracle to medal.
Ruka Hirano couldn’t raise the bar further next up, but matched his first round score of 90.00 to prove his level was high.
Totsuka, however, took the bar, tossed it as high as he could to record an absurd run of 95.00.
The pressure on James was rising and the crowd was rising with him as he waited at the top of the pipe.
What followed was majestic — not flawless, but certainly of a level few are capable even of dreaming of.
The run was awarded a score of 93.50 for second place.
The medals seemed set to come from the top five — although several jokers remained in the pack.
China’s Wang Ziyang looked to have thrown down the gauntlet but was only rewarded with a stingy 76.00 to go seventh.
Korea’s Lee Chaeun similarly delivered a spectacular run to earn 87.50 — only enough for fifth.
The tension at the base of the pipe was palpable.
Guseli was next. Sitting last, he needed a run from the top of his level and he delivered — scoring 88.00 to sit fifth, where he’d finish, an improvement of one place from Beijing.
Ruka Hirano dropped in after back-to-back 90s, needing a score to move to into the medals. He improved, but not enough and was awarded 91.00 to remain fourth.
American Alessandro Barbieri couldn’t improve, guaranteeing James at least a medal.
There was only one that he wanted.
Yamada, sitting third, couldn’t improve either.
James was guaranteed silver.
Totsuka couldn’t do it either, landing painfully on the lip to end his run.
Scotty James had one run for glory.
But just as it looked like the ultimate showman would write the perfect script, he faltered at the very last to extend his Olympic heartbreak.
“I’m really proud, honestly. I’m a bit disappointed, you know,” he told Nine.
“It is what it is, the show goes on. The sun rises tomorrow and my little boy won’t care what medal is around my neck. We keep going.”
