D'Arcy Waldegrave: Trouble on the slopes

Uh oh. Trouble at mill. Trouble on the slopes. Trouble with five-time Olympic medallist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott. I hasten to add, not trouble of her doing – I don’t believe that she has a troubling bone in her body.   

The NZ press has jumped on a perceived error within the judging panel, who placed the Kiwi in silver medal position after her final slopestyle run. It was by a snowflake, a mere .35 of a point behind eventual winner, the Japanese rider Mari Fukada.  

Two-time British Olympian Aimee Fuller has told TNT Sports that she believes the final decision was controversial and the judges got it wrong.  

 “I think there was injustice in the results of today’s women’s slopestyle final, a real shame to see that progression wasn’t rewarded on this instance.”  

Progression being the key word here —a buzz word that has long hovered around snowboarding— which is the ability, drive, and necessity to continue to raise the quality and difficulty of tricks in the Slopestyle, Half pipe, and Big Air.  

Aimee makes some valid points around the application of scores through each section of Zoi’s run, the final three jumps being the crux of the criticism. Technically sound on the rails from the Kiwi, but progressively superior in the air. Pushing the boundaries successfully and cleanly, a level above the eventual gold medallist.  

If I was being picky, Zoi’s dismount on the third rail, the front side lip slide with a 270 pretzel out, was a metre or two early and that may have cost her. But the main gripe from Fuller rests with the glamorous final three jumps.   

I’m no judge, I haven't slid in 15 years, and when I did ride, I was a sloppy try hard, so it’s probably a bit rich for me to comment.  

This debate around an athlete besmirched can be whittled down to one thing: the vagaries of judging.  

As beautiful and gobsmacking as judged events can be, it’s a subjective bunfight and really has no place at an Olympic level.   

Highest, fastest, longest, strongest, etc. 

Measured not judged. 

The athletes know this, are comfortable with this, and understand the complexities and perceived injustices of the process.   

Yet they still compete.  

They accept, smile, and move on. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'll trouble at mil trouble on the slopes, trouble with
five time Olympic medalist Zoey Sadowski. I listened to add,
not trouble of her doing, Okay, I don't believe she's
got a troubling bone in her body and his empress
jumped on a perceived error within the judging panel who
placed the key in silver medal position after a final

(00:35):
slope style run. It was only by a snowflake, a
mere point thirty five of a point behind the eventual winner.
The Japanese writer for Kata, two time British Olympian Amy Fuller,
has told TNT Sports that she believes the final decision
was controversial and that the judges got it wrong. I quote,
I think there was injustice and the results of today's

(00:58):
women's slope style final real shame to see that progression
wasn't rewarded in this instant. So progression is the keyword here, right.
It's a buzzword that's long hot around snowboarding. It's the
ability to drive, the necessity to continue to raise the
quality and difficulty of tricks in the slope, style, the

(01:20):
half pipe, and in the big air. Amy makes some
really valid points around the application of scores through each
section of Zoe's run, the final three jumps being the
crucks of her criticism. Right, so technically sound on the
rails from the kiwi, but progressively superior in the air,
pushing the boundaries successfully and cleanly, a level above the

(01:45):
eventual gold medalist. Like if I was being picky, Zoe's
dismount on the third rail was a front side lip
slide with a two seventy pretzel out. It wasn't picture perfect.
I mean, she left the rail probably a meter or
so early, and that may have cost her, but the
main right from fuller rest with the glamorous final three

(02:06):
jumps like I'm no judgment I haven't slid in fifteen years,
and when I did write, I was a sloppy tryhard
to be honest. So it's probably a bit rich for
me to comment, but I will anyway, because that's my job.
This debate around an athlete besmirched can be whittled down
to one thing, the vagaries of judging as beautiful and
as gob smacking as judged events can be. It's a

(02:29):
subjective bonfight and really has no place at an Olympic level.
Highest fastest, longest, strongest, etc. Measured not judged. The athletes
know this, they're comfortable with this, and they understand the
complexities and perceived injustices of the process. Yet they still compete.

(02:52):
We need to accept it and move on.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
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