In Brazil’s first participation in the snowboard halfpipe modality at the Winter Games, the country’s two representatives were eliminated in the qualifying rounds of the event held this Wednesday (11), in Livigno, in the Valtellina region, in northern Italy.
Swiss-born Brazilian Pat Burgener, who suffered a serious accident a few days before the competition, finished 14th among 24 athletes, while Augustinho Teixeira, born in Ushuaia, Argentina, was 19th.
Only the 12 best qualified for the finals, which will be played on Friday (13). Of those classified, six are from Asian countries, four from Japan, including Ayumu Hirano, who defends the Olympic title won in Beijing.
In the event, snowboarders do two laps with maneuvers along a U-shaped snow-covered track 200 meters long. The sport entered the Olympic program at the Games in Nagano, Japan, in 1998, reaching its eighth participation in the Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
Burgener, who had already competed in two Winter Games for Switzerland, achieved a score of 70 in the first round and failed to finish the second. He fell while trying to perform a maneuver.
Teixeira, an Olympic debutant, scored 56.50 in the first round and also fell on the second attempt.
“I did everything I could. It was a difficult week. I woke up in the hospital a week ago and didn’t know if I could participate in these Olympics. So, for me, it was a success to be able to participate,” Burgener told SporTV.
The leader of the qualifiers was Australian Scotty James, runner-up in Beijing, with a score of 94. He was followed by the Japanese Totsuka Yuto, with 91.25, and Yamada Ryusei, with 90.25.
Brazil had participated in snowboarding events at the Winter Games so far only in the cross category, with Isabel Clark. To this day, she still has the country’s best result at the Winter Olympics, with ninth place in Turin 2006.
