Photo courtesy Sierra Nevada 2017 via Twitter @SNevada2017
Photo courtesy Sierra Nevada 2017 via Twitter @SNevada2017

Blouin crowned snowboard slopestyle world champion in Spain

Slopestyle snowboarder Laurie Blouin had the biggest breakthrough of her career on Saturday, winning gold in her first world championship appearance.

The 20-year-old had qualified for the final in Sierra Nevada, Spain in second place. In the best of two-run final, Blouin needed her second run to get onto the podium, scoring 78.00 points to finish ahead of New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski Synnott (77.50) and Japan’s Miyabi Onitsuka (77.40), who also counted their second runs. Blouin’s winning run included a switch backside 180 indy to frontside 540 indy, a cab double cork 900 mute and a backside 360 melon before she closed with a backside air and a 50-50 frontside 180.

Related: Blouin claim world cup silver

“I didn’t expect it,” said Blouin. “You don’t want to be too sure of yourself. But I worked so hard and that just proved to me that the work that I did was worth it.”

Canada’s other finalist, Brooke Voigt, finished in seventh place with 46.15 points.

A world junior champion in 2013, Blouin came into the competition with just two career World Cup podium finishes to her credit, one of which happened earlier this season when she finished second in Seiser Alm, Italy.