Tignes close the Winter X Games season

McRae Williams, Kaya Turski, Marie Martinod, Mark Mc Morris and Kelly Clark are some of the big names of Winter X Games held in Tignes

2013 X Games Tignes finished last Friday with expected but also surprise results. The competition, that started on Wednesday, 20th, had great moments such as the return of Marie Martinod who took gold seven years after she retired. Both Women’s Ski Slopestyle and Snowboard Superpipe finals took place just on the first day of competition. Bad weather conditions forced the organization to postpone them to the next day, so X Games Tignes first day closed with elimination tests.

Thursday, 21st, was expected to be a long and thrilling second day of competition. The Men’s Ski Slopestyle final was the first to be carried out. McRae Williams achieved gold with a 94.33 score, and behind him were Jossi Wells and Gus Kenworthy, silver and bronze respectively. Women’s Ski Slopestyle final was next. Kaya Turski took gold after completing three great runs, the second one being the best with a 93.3 score. Behind the Canadian were Tiril Christiansen, who was silver after a 90,66 score in her last run and young Dara Howell with the bronze.

Both Women’s and Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe finals took place in the afternoon. In women’s, the American Kelly Clark struck her third consecutive gold in Tignes with a 87,6 score, ahead of the Americans Elena Hight and Arielle Gold, silver and bronze respectively. In men’s, Louie Vito step up onto the podium in his last run with a 92,66 score that made him achieved gold in French Arthur Longo benefit, silver with 92. The third in the group was the Japanese Taku Hiraoka but the highlight of this men’s final was the Iouri Podlatchikov first Cab 1440 double cork of the history. He was fourth. 

That’s how the second day in Tignes ended, leaving the Snowboard Slopestyle and Ski Superpipe finals for Friday, 22nd. The first one to be performed was the Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle final, marked by Torstein Horgmo's ankle injury. He was first in the qualifying rounds but was forced to drop out of the competition prematurely.

Then, the battle for gold had two aspirants, the Canadians Mark McMorris and Sebastien Toutant. McMorris overcame his fellow countryman with a 95 score, and relegate him to the second position. Peetu Piiroinen completed the podium with the bronze.
Men’s final was followed by Women’s final in Snowboard Slopestyle as well. The Norwegian Silje Norendal claimed victory with a 93 score in a podium that was closed by Jamie Anderson (silver) and Kjersti Oestgaard Buaas (bronze).

2013 X Games in Tignes would complete with the last two finals of Ski Superpipe. In men’s, the youngest athlete in the competition, Torin Yater-Wallace, repeated as a gold medalist that led him keep stepping up onto the podium in every X Games he has competed in. The American won over his fellow countryman David Wise and the French Kevin Rolland, silver and bronze respectively, with a 93.66 score in the last run in an amazing final.

Regarding women’s final, that finished the competition, Marie Martinod, who retired years ago, came back in her first competition since 2006 to achieved gold in Ski Superpipe with a 86.33 score. The French thrilled the crowd that also saw Anais Caradeux taking silver and last X Games Aspen gold medalist Maddie Brown taking bronze.

Winter X Games finish, but Summer X Games are coming up from now on. They will invade Barcelona next May, 16 to 19, where we will be able to enjoy the best disciplines and the best riders at the moment.

*Report texted by Queralt Castellet, the only European rider invited to Winter X Games in Tignes SuperPipe Snow discipline and finally she could not go for a shoulder injury.