LILLEHAMMER, Norway (Feb. 13, 2016) – The Americans continued their success at the Youth Olympic Games in freeskiing halfpipe, with Birk Irving (Winter Park, CO, U.S. Freeskiing/Winter Park Competition Center) scoring gold for the men and Paula Cooper (Vail, CO, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail) taking home silver for the ladies.
Sixteen-year-old Irving is a Revolution Tour podium regular and is starting to score top finishes at elite-level events, climbing his way into the professional ranks. He made the final against a competitive field at the Breckenridge Dew Tour in December and recently received an invitation to compete at his first X Games—X Games Oslo at the end of February.
Birk Irving stands on the podium at the Youth Olympic Games with Finn Bilous of New Zealand in second and Trym Sunde Andreassen of Norway in third. (YIS/IOC-Jon Buckle)
Irving was injured recently, which almost kept him away from the Games, but he toughed it out and competed well. “The highlight of my winning run? I did a down-the-pipe flat 900. I have a fractured fibula, so I wasn’t able to train this week,” said Irving. “There was a little bit of pain but I was OK once the adrenaline kicked in.”
Rounding out the men's YOG podium was Finn Bilous of New Zealand in second and Trym Sunde Andreassen of Norway in third.
Paula Cooper (left) stands in second place. (YIS/IOC-Jon Buckle)
Cooper, who has also scored a handful of podium finishes on the Revolution Tour, is an up-and-coming skier out of Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy. She was flanked on the podium by Madison Rowlands of Great Britain in first and Lara Wolf of Austria in third.
Americans Nikita Rubocki (Boise, ID, Team Park City United) and Alex Hall (Park City, UT, U.S. Freeskiing/Team Park City United) also had great showings, placing just off the podium in fourth for the women and men, respectively.
Nikita Rubocki finished just off the podium in fourth. (YIS/IOC-Jon Buckle)
HIGHLIGHTS
Birk Irving won gold for the men. His best run scored a 93.00.
Paula Cooper earned silver for the ladies. Her best run scored a 79.00.
Nikita Rubocki was fourth. Her best run scored a 70.20.
Alex Hall was fourth. His best run scored a 78.00.
The International Olympic Committee’s Youth Olympic Games offers a competitive venue for young athletes to not only compete, but also participate in a Learn & Share program designed to inspire and empower youth.
Paula Cooper throws down at YOG to take silver. (YIS/IOC-Jon Buckle)
QUOTES
Birk Irving I’ve been raised out of a ski area and all my family are skiers so I was born with it, I guess. The highlight of my winning run? I did a down-the-pipe flat 900. I have a fractured fibula, so I wasn’t able to train this week. There was a little bit of pain, but I was OK once the adrenaline kicked in.
