Australian snowboarder Tess Coady has won Australia’s first medal of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, claiming bronze in the women’s slopestyle as her close friend Zoi Sadowski Synnott became the first New Zealander to top the podium at a Winter Games.
Coady, 21, recorded her best score of 84.15 points in the third and final run of Sunday’s final.
It was the 16th medal won by Australia at a Winter Olympics and the fifth in a snowboarding discipline.
Coady was selected to make her Games debut four years ago in PyeongChang, but was unable to compete after tearing her ACL in a practice run.
“Making it to a final is always a win in my books and last night I was chatting to a friend and he said to me that I have finally earned my ticket to freedom with the last four years,” Coady told the Seven Network.
“I really took that mentality today.
“I was just going to send it, nothing to lose.
“I came back and got my redemption yesterday and today I just wanted to have the best time, enjoy it the most and just send it.”
Sydney-born Sadowski Synnott won gold with a brilliant final run which earned 92.88 points and American Julia Marino (87.68) pocketed the silver.
Zoi is one oy my best mates, I’m just so, so incredibly hyped for her,” said Coady.
“She deserved that win so much.”
Two-time defending champion Jamie Anderson from the United States was ninth.
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