GOLDSCHMIDT .2 AWAY FROM WJC HALFPIPE PODIUM
Elena Hight among eight U.S. in top-15

KLINOVEC, Czech Republic (Feb. 13) – Stratton Mountain School rider Michael Goldschmidt led seven U.S. juniors into Friday’s halfpipe top-15 at the second day of the World Junior Championships. Goldschmidt’s second run score of 36.8 landed him fourth, just .2 shy of third place finisher Sami Saarenpaa of Finland. Fellow SMS student Louie Vito (Bellefontaine, OH) finished sixth.

Matching Vito’s result and landing the only women’s final spot was Elena Hight (Zephyr Cove, NV), who landed a 35.0 point qualifying run to make the women’s top six. Joanie Anderson (Lake Tahoe, CA) and Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO) rounded out the women's top-10 with seventh and ninth respectively.

“These kids rode their hearts out and did a great job,” said U.S. Snowboarding Assistant Halfpipe Coach Mike Jankowski. “I’m really stoked to see all of them up near the top and it just goes to show how deep the U.S. talent pool is as we continue to build the U.S. Snowboarding program.”

Also showing some muscle at the World Juniors was Mary Sallah (Toledo, OH) and Shayne Pospisl (Manasquan, NJ), who grabbed the first two medals for the U.S. with second and third place finishes in Thursday’s Big Air. Sallah stomped two huge backside 180’s, while Pospisil threw a corked backside 720 and a cab 900 to medal for the men. Big Air was a new event at the 2004 World Juniors.

“A lot of these riders have been bouncing around the country all winter competing, while still maintaining their schoolwork. Then we bring them all the way over to Europe to compete and they still perform. It takes a lot of talent both on and off the snow to be able to compete at this level and these kids exemplify what it takes,” said Jankowski.

The World Junior Championships wrap up Saturday with snowboard cross in Oberwiesenthal, Germany. With medals from Sallah and Pospisil, the U.S. is halfway to matching the 2003 medal haul of four.

FIS World Junior Championships
Klinovec, CZE – Feb. 13
Men’s Halfpipe Final (top 10 qualifiers made final)
1. Gary Zebrowski, France, 43.4
2. Markus Malin, Finland, 38.0
3. Sami Saarenpaa, Finland, 37.0
4. Michael Goldschmidt, Bondville, Vt., 36.8
5. Valerian DuCourtil, France, 35.7
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6. Louie Vito, Bellefontaine, Ohio, 35.1
15. Kevin Pearce, Norwich, Vt., 29.7
22. Shayne Pospisil, Manasquan, N.J., 24.9
33. Alex Deibold, Manchester Center, Vt., 21.7

Women’s Halfpipe Final (top six qualifiers made final)
1. Sophie Rodriguez, France, 44.4
2. Paulina Ligocka, Poland, 35.7
3. Hayley Van Muyen, Canada, 30.0
4. Angele Clavet, France, 28.1
5. Tiina Lindstrom, Finland, 27.2
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6. Elena Hight, Zephyr Cove, Nev., 17.8
7. Joanie Anderson, Lake Tahoe, Calif., 33.5
9. Clair Bidez, Minturn, Colo., 29.6
14. Mary Sallah, Toledo, Ohio, 23.8
15. Tori Carrigan Koski, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 27.4