Troy Podmilsak Scores First World Cup Big Air Podium In Season Opener

Freeskiers compete during the men's big air competition at the 2022 FIS Freeski World Cup on Oct. 21, 2022 in Chur, Sweden.

The opening day of the world cup big air season turned historic for 18-year-old Troy Podmilsak.
Podmilsak reached his first world cup podium in men’s big air skiing Friday, capturing third place by half a point in the season opener in Chur, Switzerland.
Coming off two junior world titles in big air and slopestyle skiing last March, Podmilsak continued his hot streak.
Entering the finals with the top score in the qualifying round, Podmilsak overcame a rough start in the first run of the finals and scored 94.75 and 85.00 in his final two runs for a combined score of 179.75. This got him to third place ahead of Switzerland’s Andri Ragettli and his score of 179.25. The top-two scores in the three runs for each athlete make up the final score.
Podmilsak’s start was his first in a world cup big air skiing event since December 2019, when the U.S. hosted a big air event in Atlanta. But he didn’t make the finals in that event.
This time, Podmilsak emerged from the qualifying round with the top score of 94 and was the only U.S. skier to make the finals in the men’s or women’s competition.
Olympic champion Birk Ruud of Norway won the competition with a score of 188.75.
The next world cup big air skiing competition is Dec. 14-16 at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain in Frisco, Colorado.