Kiwi snowboarding hopes Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Tiarn Collins have completed a perfect build-up for the Beijing Winter Olympics, finishing on the podium at a World Cup event on Mammoth Mountain, California.
With the Olympics looming next month, the pair confirmed the NZ contingent were nearing top form, with freeski exponent Nico Porteous winning his halfpipe discipline at the same event.
A big air bronze medallist at Pyeongchang four years ago, Sadowski-Synnott finished second in her slopestyle event at Mammoth, leading through the opening round with a backside 900 for a score of 82.50.
American Jamie Anderson bumped the Kiwi into second with her second run and Sadowski-Synnott, 20, came unstuck, attempt a back 1080 on her final jump, unable to regain the lead.
She declared herself "super-stoked" with her placing, given both she and Porteous returned positive COVID-19 tests last week.
Like Sadowski-Synnott, Collins produced a strong open run that included a backside 1620 for 73.44 points, which held up for third in the final standings, behind American Redmond Gerard and Dutchman Niek van der Velden.
"I am really stoked, I just wanted to land that run as well as I could," he says.
The result was Collins' fourth World Cup podium, but his first in two years.
The Beijing Winter Olympics begin February 4.
