A pair of Canadians have clinched spots on the podium in women’s halfpipe freestyle skiing at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Cassie Sharpe of Calgary won the silver medal with a score of 90.75 while Rachael Karker of Erin, Ont. won the bronze with a score of 87.75.
Canada now has won 22 medals at the Games.
Sharpe, the reigning Olympic champion in the event, was only bested by China’s Eileen Gu — who won the gold and her third medal of Games with a blistering score of 95.25. Sharpe’s run was highlighted by a pair of 1080 spins in her second trip down the course, the first time an athlete completed the feat in an Olympic competition. The 29-year-old missed most of the 2021 season after suffering a torn ACL, MCL and fractured femur and barely had any time to get up to speed before the Olympics.
“I’m a year out from knee surgery today,” she said in an interview with Postmedia’s Kevin Mitchell this week. “So I’m allowing myself to go easy, and just enjoy the ride and enjoy the experience. If that ends up with a medal, then I’ve done my job. And if not, I’ve still done my job.
“After my knee injury, it took a long time to get back to even being in the gym, working out, doing all that kind of stuff. I’ve only been on snow for just over three months right now, so I’m happy to be here and to be competing. I’m just really proud of myself for all the work I’ve put in to get here.”
Karker, 24, is competing in her first Olympic Games after breaking onto the scene in 2019. She is a three-time X-Games medalist and won a silver medal in 2021 at the FIS World Championships in halfpipe.
Amy Fraser of Halifax finished in eighth place with a score of 75.25.
The halfpipe competition sees each athlete take three runs down the course with their best score counting in the standings.
