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McKenna Wins World
Cup Gold in Japan
Lesley McKenna (28, Aviemore) translated recent training form into
World Cup victory in last night's FIS World Cup Snowboard Half-pipe
competition in Sapporo, Japan (1/3/03).
 McKenna
has taken training back to basics this season, honing her riding
skills and practicing new tricks, among them a 900 degree spin,
which to her knowledge only one other girl, 5th placed Hannah Teter
of the USA, has successfully executed. Having completed the previous
two season ranked 3rd and 4th respectively in the Overall World
Cup Half-pipe standings, today's result ends a frustrating competition
phase for Lesley, whose best this season has been 11th in Laax,
Switzerland, in November.
Just get out there and ride big
'I just had to be patient with myself. I knew that the work I had
been doing would pay off in the end, but I had been crashing a lot
in competition and failing to make finals. Yesterday, my coach advised
me to forget about the competition, just go out there, ride big,
and enjoy it and I won!'
Lesley achieved a massive 8.3 score for amplitude in the 1st run
of the finals today, which clinched the event for her, indicating
that she is simply riding higher than any other girl. Today she
executed a 540, followed by a 720 in the first run and a back-to-back
540 in the second.
'There's another competition tomorrow and I'm going to go even bigger.
Perhaps even the 900 for the first time in competition', stated
an excited McKenna.
Big competition
Last year's World Cup winner Manuela Pederzolli finished 4th today,
but it was the competition from Teter, 3rd in this year's prestigious
X-Games Lesley feared most. Equal to the challenge, McKenna beat
them all off to enjoy her first experience on top of the podium.
I got to wear the Soltaire on the podium. This morning when I got
to the pipe, there were only two flags on display and they were
both Scottish turns out a friend of mine is teaching English in
Japan', said Lesley who is an ambassador for Visit Scotland.
Far East competition continues tonight with McKenna in Half-pipe
action again in Japan and her cousins, Alain and Noel Baxter, competing
in Slalom in Yong Pyong, Korea.
RESULTS - Women's FIS World Cup Half-pipe, Sapporro, JPN
1 - MCKENNA Lesley - GBR - 1000.0 - 1000.00
2 - ZUREK Natasza - CAN - 800.0 - 800.00
3 - PESKO Manuela - SUI - 600.0 - 600.00
4 - PEDERZOLLI Nicola -AUT - 500.0 - 500.00
5 - TETER Hannah - USA - 450.0 - 450.00
6 - NARITA Mero - JPN - 400.0 - 400.00
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