GB Park and Pipe skier Madi Rowlands (15, Maidstone) made history as she became the first ever Team GB athlete to win a Youth Olympic medal, taking gold in the Ski Halfpipe at Lillehammer 2016 on Sunday.
Rowlands dominated the field throughout and put down the best two runs of the competition at Oslo’s Vinterpark, notching up a score of 88.60 in her second run.
“I couldn’t be happier. It’s just so overwhelming,” said Rowlands, “It was nerve-wracking to wait for the others to finish but I felt like I had done enough. I was so stoked with that first run and to land it like I did meant I was able to relax more and not be so nervous in the second and third. There are two main competitions I ultimately want to get to, the X Games and then the Olympics. This is a great step towards that and I’m just so stoked to win.”
Also at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer Team GB athletes Yasmin Cooper and Iain Innes had their first taste of Youth Olympic competition in the Super-G event.
Cooper pushed hard but missed a gate and failed to finish her first run, while Innes fared much better – finishing in 32nd – and the 17-year-old from Edinburgh was delighted with the result. “I thought it went really well today. I made a bit of a mistake coming into the finish and probably lost a second or so but overall really happy,” said Innes.
Then yesterday Cooper had a great ski in the Alpine Combined event. Cooper finished the Super-G in 19th and came down the slalom 16th quickest to finish 13th overall. Innes unfortunately DNF in the Men’s Alpine Combined.
Madi Rowlands will go on to compete in the Ski Slopestyle on Friday. Cal Sandieson (17, Glasgow) competes in the Ski Slopestyle on Saturday.
