Vancouver, March 29, 2023 – Copper Mountain was the site of the Nor-Am Circuit’s final freestyle halfpipe event of the season on Tuesday. Four Canadian athletes took part, and Emma Morozumi was the standout performer, finishing on the third step of the podium.
Copper Mountain appears to have smiled upon Morozumi this season; she won another bronze medal there in January. The 18-year-old also got a taste of victory when the circuit visited her hometown of Calgary in late January.
“I could tell that Emma was nervous during the qualification rounds, but she really recovered well afterwards. She didn’t want to take any risks, and I could see that she was playing it safe in the final. It was enough to get her onto the podium, and she was very proud of that,” noted her coach, Rex Thomas.
On Tuesday, only Riley Jacobs (1st) and Piper Arnold (2nd), both of the USA, managed to outperform Morozumi. Vienna Biletsky finished ninth.
In January, Biletsky experienced her World Cup debut, finishing 15th when the circuit made a stop in her hometown of Calgary.
Thanks to Tuesday’s bronze medal, Morozumi concludes the season in first place overall on the Nor-Am Circuit, twenty points ahead of Jacobs. Biletsky is ranked seventh.
“Emma has had a fantastic season. With her first place finish, she should become a World Cup regular next year. That was our main objective. I’m really proud of the way she performed at each of her events,” added Thomas.
Liam Duffy (Calgary, AB) posted the best Canadian result of the day among the men, finishing sixth. In doing so, he also matched his best career Nor-Am result, having also finished sixth in Calgary last January.
“Liam recently recovered from a serious injury he suffered last year. It’s been a long road this season to get him back to full strength. He did well on his second qualification run and advanced to the final. He was really happy, and he upped his game a bit to finish sixth. The competition went well for him,” explained the coach.
Devon Spate, also of Calgary, finished the competition in 13th place. The Americans dominated the podium, with Ben Harrington winning gold, ahead of his compatriots Carl McCarthy and Eugene Morris.
In the overall North American circuit rankings, Duffy finished 13th, while Spate finished 18th. Adam Fiselier is the top-ranked Canadian, in sixth place.
“It was a great way for the whole team to wrap up the season. This Friday, we’ll be at the Canada Cup. I’m really proud of our team, and expectations will be high for everyone next year,” concluded Thomas.
