Kiwi snowboarding star Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has defended her X Games slopestyle crown at Aspen, Colorado.
The Tokyo Olympic champion has headed off Australian Tess Coady and Japanese Kokomo Murase for her fourth X Games gold medal in the event and fifth overall, after sweeping both slopestyle and Big Air in 2022.
"Honestly, I can't really believe it," said Sadowski-Synnott. "It could have gone any way today, everyone is absolutely ripping, and I am so stoked for Tess and Kokomo.
"I am proud of what we were all able to do in these conditions."
Light snow falling during the competition meant competitors had to stick landings perfectly.
Last to run in each round, Sadowski-Synnott took the lead after the second round, but was relegated by Coady's next attempt.
With time running out, the Kiwi needed a winning performance on her fourth attempt and responded accordingly.
Sadowski-Synnott won her first Laax Open World Cup slopestyle crown in Switzerland last week and will defend her X Games Big Air crown on Sunday afternoon (NZ time).
