Tabanelli siblings claim gold

Flora and Miro Tabanelli.
Flora and Miro Tabanelli.
Italian siblings Flora and Miro Tabanelli claimed their respective crowns at one of the feature Winter Games events yesterday.

The top qualifiers carried their form into the finals as they won the FIS Australia New Zealand Cup freeski slopestyle titles.

Flora put down a technical rail section in the women’s final that included a backside 450 out of the flat rail, into a switch 270 on, continuing 270 out on the down rail and stomping a frontside 450 off the cannon.

She rounded out her run with a switch left bio 900 on the third jump that stood out to the judges as she became the only women to post a score in the 90s.

Ruyi Yang, of China, was second and Elaina Krusiewski, of the United States, third.

"I really love this place," Flora said.

Chinese skier Ruyi Yang in action in the women’s freeski slopestyle at the Winter Games at...
Chinese skier Ruyi Yang in action in the women’s freeski slopestyle at the Winter Games at Cardrona yesterday. PHOTOS: WINTER GAMES NZ
"I love to be here and I am happy to have won the gold.

"It means a lot to have my brother here today too.

"I love to travel with him because I get to have part of my family with me."

Miro set the tone in the men’s final with a strong top to bottom run that included a super fed on the transfer rail and a frontside corked 810 off the cannon rail.

On the jumps, he laced together a right double corked 1080, left double corked 1260 into a switch left double corked 1620 with a tail grab on the final jump.

Only three points separated the podium places as New Zealand skier Lucas Ball finished second and Italian Leonardo Donaggio third.

"Today was perfect — the weather, the condition of the park," Miro said.

"It’s insane to be out here with Flora.

"She is my biggest inspiration."

Nelson skier Ball was "super stoked" to claim silver.

"There was such a high level of skiing today.

"I am happy to land and share the podium with two super
sick skiers."

The Winter Games NZ programme continues with freeski halfpipe world cup qualification today.