U.S Skier Wise Takes Gold in First Half-Pipe Final

By RIA Novosti

Feb. 20, 2014

U.S. skiier David Wise has become the first-ever winner of an Olympic ski half-pipe gold medal. Alexander Kryazhev / RIA Novosti

ROSA KHUTOR — U.S. skiier David Wise has become the first-ever winner of an Olympic ski half-pipe gold medal.

Even though Wise fell on his second run on Tuesday, his first-run score of 92 points was enough to secure him the first ski half-pipe gold, 14 years after the sister snowboard event debuted at the Games.

The silver medal went to Canada's Mike Riddle on 90.60, with bronze for France's Kevin Rolland on 88.60.

Wise now holds the discipline's three most prestigious titles, having won last month's X-Games ski half-pipe event in Aspen and last year's world championships in Oslo.

His gold medal also brings the U.S. level with Canada on three gold medals in the freestyle skiing medal table in Sochi.

The women's ski half-pipe at Sochi's Rosa Khutor Extreme Park is scheduled to take place Thursday.

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