Australian teenager Indra Brown has continued her stunning rise, winning her first World Cup freeski halfpipe gold medal as the Winter Olympics loom large.
The 15-year-old from Melbourne maintained her dramatic progression in her first three World Cup career starts, following a bronze medal at Secret Garden, China and silver at Copper Mountain in the US, as Saturday’s victory in Calgary, Canada made her the youngest Australian to win a World Cup event.
“I’m really excited and happy to be here, and excited for more,” said Brown, who now leads the World Cup standings halfway through the season with 240 points, 55 clear of China’s Zhang Kexin.
Yet to be confirmed on Australia’s Winter Olympics team for the Games in Italy in February, that appears a mere formality after the penultimate event before the Games.
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Final selection for the Winter Olympics will be decided at the Aspen Snowmass World Cup event from January 8-10.
Brown took an early lead with a first run score of 85.20 that no one else was able to match.
Zhang took the silver, one point behind Brown on 84.20 with American Svea Irving getting bronze with 83.20 as last season’s overall winner Li Fanghui had to settle for fourth place.
With her victory, Brown matched a FIS Freeski World Cup mark set by Jennie-Lee Burmansson of Sweden in the 2017-18 season, when the then-15-year-old Swede rattled off a second, a first, and a third in her first three World Cup Slopestyle starts.
Brown is also the only Australian to have secured more than two freeski halfpipe World Cup podiums, surpassing Davina Williams and Amy Sheehan who each have two World Cup podiums.
Brown began her winning run with a left side 900 safety, then a right side cork 900 safety, a left 720 safety, a switch right 540, a switch left 360 mute, and finally a leftside alley-oop 360 Japan on her sixth and final hit.
