Alex Hall scores spectacular victory at Mammoth Mountain to win trip to Winter Olympics

Alex Hall on the podium after finishing first in the Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Final for the Toyota United States Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain on January 9, 2022 in Mammoth, California.

Slopestyle skiers may have had to wait longer than expected to compete in the Grand Prix event due to the weather at Mammoth Mountain, Calif., But the American athletes showed up on a big Sunday.

Alex Hall and Nick Goepper finished 1-2 in the men, with Mac Forehand falling just off the podium in fourth place, while Maggie Voisin took third in the women to win her third Olympic qualification.

Hall’s huge winning streak has also earned him a trip to Beijing, where he will compete in the Olympics for the second time.

Voisin had the second worst score in the first round of the competition, with just 64.25. But she redeemed herself on her second, scoring a 90 to land in third place.

“I really have no words,” Voisin said. “To say that I am going to my third Olympic Games is a dream come true. It took a lot to get here. Over the past two years, I have experienced a lot personally with my body and my injuries. Coming back and having a good race and knowing I’m going to these Olympics is a dream come true.

Neighbor knows the injuries. In 2014, she qualified as the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic team at just 15, but couldn’t compete in Sochi after breaking her ankle in a training race. . She returned in 2018 and narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in the slopestyle competition. The Whitefish, MT native was named American Ski and Snowboard Athlete of the Year in 2020 after returning from knee surgery and winning three X Games medals and five consecutive podiums.

Kelly Sildaru of Estonia won the women’s event with a score of 93.75 and Eileen Gu of China was second with a score of 91.

Hall had to win on Sunday to lock in his Olympic spot – and he did. For most of the competition, the gold seemed to belong to Goepper, the two-time Olympian who himself had a dominant competition. His score of 92.75 was by far the best first run, and he improved it on his second with a score of 94.75. It was the best score almost until the very end, but just when it looked like he couldn’t be beaten Hall had a monstrous run to score 95.50.