(Photo above: finished in third place in men’s superpipe at Dew Tour, which leaves him in second on the cusp for U.S. Olympic team nomination. Photo: Yoshida)
The 2018 U.S. Olympic snowboarding team added its first three riders during Dew Tour Breckenridge, and when qualifying resumes in January, the rest of the team could start to fill out quickly.
For each discipline, up to three men and three women will be nominated to the team using the criteria determined by U.S. Ski & Snowboard for automatic qualification.
In order to be eligible for automatic nomination, riders need to get at least one top-three finish during the selection events. If more than three riders get a podium finish, then the ranking lists (which are based on each rider’s two best results) will determine who the spots get awarded to.
Any remaining spots can be filled at the discretion of the coaching staff once qualifying has finished.
Below is a look at where the U.S. Olympic qualifying picture stands after Dew Tour Breckenridge. There will be two selection events left for both halfpipe and slopestyle, and both will take place in January.
Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe (after 2 of 4 qualifiers)
1. Ben Ferguson, 1800*
2. Jake Pates, 1320*
3. Danny Davis, 1200
4. Shaun White, 1120*
5-T. Gabe Ferguson, 950
5-T. Chase Josey, 950
7. Greg Bretz, 800
8. Ryan Wachendorfer, 650
9. Louie Vito, 520
10-T. Chase Blackwell, 460
10-T. Toby Miller, 460
*Has met minimum criteria of one top-three finish.
Dew Tour Review: Jake Pates put himself into the Olympic conversation after a surprise victory in Breckenridge. Ben Ferguson’s third-place finish, which was second among U.S. riders, has him on the cusp of an Olympic nomination. Shaun White, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, dropped a few spots in the rankings after missing the final.
Looking Forward: Ben Ferguson or Jake Pates could secure their nomination to the Olympic team by finishing as the top American at either of the final two selection events. Shaun White, who was the No. 2 American after the first qualifier, is in a strong position as well. White would jump up near the top of the rankings by taking the top U.S. result at either event. Although Danny Davis is sitting in one of the top three positions right now, he still needs a podium result; otherwise he won’t meet the criteria required for automatic nomination.
Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe (after 2 of 4 qualifiers)
1. Chloe Kim, 2000**
2. Kelly Clark, 1400*
3. Maddie Mastro, 1300*
4. Arielle Gold, 1100*
5-T. Elena Hight, 850
5-T. Hannah Teter, 850
7. Summer Fenton, 720
8. Maddie Barrett, 580
9. Noelle Edwards, 500
10. Taylor Obregon, 480
*Has met minimum criteria of one top-three finish.
**Has confirmed nomination onto U.S. Olympic team.
Dew Tour Review: Chloe Kim won her second straight Olympic qualifier to confirm her nomination onto the U.S. team for PyeongChang. Kelly Clark moved up to No. 2 in the rankings after placing second in Breckenridge. Arielle Gold checked off the “get a podium result” prerequisite by finishing third but still sits outside the top three in the rankings.
Looking Forward: Kelly Clark and Maddie Mastro are in the driver’s seat for the two automatic spots that still remain, as both have a second-place result (among Americans) on the board. Being the top U.S. rider at the next selection event would confirm an Olympic team nomination for either Clark or Mastro. Two-time Olympian Elena Hight and Torino Games gold medalist Hannah Teter are in danger of falling out of the running and will both be in need of a strong result at the next qualifier.
Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle/Big Air (after 3 of 5 qualifiers)
1. Chris Corning, 2000**
2. Red Gerard, 1800*
3. Chandler Hunt, 1160*
4. Judd Henkes, 1100
5. Kyle Mack, 1000*
6. Brock Crouch, 950
7. Nik Baden, 900
8. Ryan Stassel, 890
9. Dylan Thomas, 760*
10. Brandon Davis, 660
*Has met minimum criteria of one top-three finish.
**Has confirmed nomination onto U.S. Olympic team.
Dew Tour Review: By finishing second in Breckenridge, best among U.S. riders, Chris Corning confirmed his nomination onto the U.S. Olympic team for both slopestyle and big air. Red Gerard’s fourth-place result was second among Americans, putting him within striking distance of a spot on the team as well.
Looking Forward: Red Gerard could be the next rider to earn his spot on the team. His nomination will be confirmed if he’s the top American at either of the final two selection events. But even if he doesn’t, there’s a good chance that his current results will be good enough to hold up for a spot. Chandler Hunt and Kyle Mack, who each have a second-place finish among U.S. riders on the board, could shoot up the rankings with a strong outing at any of the remaining qualifiers. Judd Henkes is holding down the fourth spot in the rankings but still needs a top-three finish in order to be eligible for automatic nomination.
Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle/Big Air (after 3 of 5 qualifiers)
1. Jamie Anderson, 2000**
2-T. Julia Marino, 1600*
2-T. Hailey Langland, 1600*
4. Jessika Jenson, 1050
5.Ty Walker, 1000
6. Nora Healey, 850
7. Serena Shaw, 720
8. Hailee Mattingley, 690
9. Kirra Kotsenburg, 610
10. Hailee Soderholm, 580
Dew Tour Review: Jamie Anderson will head to PyeongChang to defend her slopestyle title and also attempt to bring home a medal in big air. Her second-place finish at Dew Tour, which was the best American result, confirmed her nomination to the U.S. Olympic team.
Looking Forward: Julia Marino and Hailey Langland are likely to be the next riders to secure their nominations to the Olympic team. There are various scenarios that could qualify one or both of them to the team after the completion of the next selection event. For Marino, who already has a top U.S. qualifying result under her belt, the most simple scenario would be finishing as the best American.
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