Chris Del Bosco regains Skier X throne at Winter X Games Aspen 2012
Heading to Aspen to compete for the coveted gold medal at Winter X Games, the athletes are always mentally prepared to come across a field comprising of formidable athletes. Skill alone was not the only thing that decided their fate, as a presence of mind
and luck unarguably played a vital role in determining the result of the battles.
Anyone who saw the Skier X Final that went down at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, on Sunday, January 29, would know exactly just how big an impact luck and presence of mind played in deciding who got to stand on the top of the podium.
With the likes of defending champion John Teller, Finland’s Jouni Pellinen, Canada’s Chris Del Bosco and Dave Duncan, along with Slovenia’s Filip Flisar in contention for the coveted gold, the Final was expected to be a thrilling affair. There was hardly
anyone in the line-up who did not possess the ability to take the win on their day.
While the 29-year-old Del Bosco had been clocking the fastest time of the Quarter-final and Semi-final stage, Pellinen was still the favourite to win due to the extent of confidence he seemed to be drenched in. The support of the local crowd was bound to
bring out the best in him.
Del Bosco, on the other hand, was aiming to get back on top of the podium. A national of both US and Canada, the Vail-resident had chosen to represent the latter in the competition. Two years ago, he had led the podium sweep by the Canadians and followed
it up with a runner-up finish in 2011 Winter X Games, finishing just behind Teller. However, this year saw the defending Skier X champion wipe out during the Semi-finals, finishing with the worst time. The opportunity was there for Del Bosco to reclaim the
throne, though he was bound to receive a strong challenge from the apparently deadly Pellinen.
As the five-man Final of the Skier X got underway on Sunday, the 28-year-old Pellinen got off to a solid start, separating himself quickly from the rest of the pack. However, he began to lose speed on the rollers halfway through the course, allowing Del
Bosco to overtake him. The Canadian freeskier is adept at manipulating the course terrain to reap the maximum benefit out of it, using the features to gain and maintain speed. It was this skills and presence of mind that allowed him to avoid any speed issues
during the race and allowed him to smoothly advance towards the finish.
Holding on to his lead firmly, Del Bosco’s skilful and cautious skiing allowed him to comfortably get through the course and reach the finish line first, clocking a time of 1 minute 20.589 seconds. The victory was a huge deal for someone who had nearly ruined
his athletic career due to his alcohol and drug addiction.
“This is huge,” said Del Bosco. “I've kind of had an up-and-down season, and I finally got on the top step here. This is the biggest event for us, so I'm just stoked to be here.”
The 24-year-old Flisar had a pretty disappointing Winter X Games last year, but was able to redeem himself by securing silver medal this running after clocking a time of 1 minute 20.730 seconds.
The 29-year-old Duncan rounded out the podium after reaching the finish line in 1 minute 20.814 seconds to take home the bronze.
Pellinen ended up finishing in fourth place, after failing to recover from a half-way hiccup. The local freeskier Casey Puckett, who had been appearing in Winter X Games for the last 10 years, competed in his last race on Sunday. While the fifth-place finish
was not the ideal way to finish an exciting finish, he was still glad to make it into the Final.
The Skier X Final exemplified the important of skills, presence of mind and luck when it came to performing well at a Winter X Games event. With the focus of athletes shifting from executing the most technical tricks and runs to going for the more consistent
runs, the battle for the top honours are depending on both the skills as well as the wits of the athletes.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely of the writer’s and do not reflect bettor.com’s official editorial policy.
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