From X Games to Freeride World Tour: a Week in the Life of Janina Kuzma

NZ Freeskier Janina Kuzma today placed fifth in one of the most prestigious competitions on the action sports calendar but there’s barely time to stop for congratulations as she now boards a plane to Europe and heads to another top level competition: from X Games to Freeride World Tour in a matter of days.

Janina joined seven other invited skiers in today’s X Games superpipe event; the Kiwi was the only X Games rookie amongst the field of eight Olympians which included the full podium line up from Sochi.

First to drop, Janina says that she felt surprisingly calm. “It wasn’t like the Olympics or the recent World Cup events. I felt really calm and just ready for it. I’ve been working hard on my runs and a recent training camp in Calgary has helped me to focus. I knew the run I need to land.”

The first run wasn’t as clean as she would have liked and lacked the necessary grabs. On the second run Janina found the grabs as well as an increase in amplitude which would lead to an extra six points on her score putting her into fifth place. By the third run, the snow had started to fall and the pipe was running slow.

“I didn’t have the speed to spin the 900 at the end of the run and had to bring it back to a 720. It’s a bit disappointing because I know that’s the trick I need to nail in order to get on the podium. The difficulty of my run just wasn’t there compared to the top three. Still, I’m really pleased with my result at my first X Games. I wanted to be in the top five.”

2014 X Games and Olympic gold medallist Maddie Bowman (USA) placed first with Japan’s Ayana Onozuka second and Brita Sigourney third.

Full results and media images here: http://xgames.espn.go.com