Mark McMorris breaks record for most Winter X Games medals with slopestyle gold
CBC
Canadian snowboard star Mark McMorris made history on Sunday at the 2023 Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo.
The 29-year-old from Regina successfully defended his slopestyle gold, breaking a tie with American Jamie Anderson for the most Winter X Games medals with 22.
McMorris, who was the oldest competitor in the 10-man final, overtook reigning world champion Marcus Kleveland of Norway on the final run, executing back-to-back 1620s on the final two jumps.
The three-time Olympic slopestyle bronze medallist has won the X Games men's slopestyle title seven times in Aspen.
Kleveland finished with silver, while Norway's Mons Roisland earned bronze.
No scores were posted because in a format introduced three years ago in Aspen, athletes were ranked for "overall impression" in a jam session, in which athletes compete over a set time as opposed to a number of rounds.
McMorris won bronze at last year's Beijing Olympics behind teammate and gold medallist Max Parrot of Bromont, Que.
Parrot is taking a year off from competition.
Earlier on Sunday, Megan Oldham of Parry Sound, Ont., secured the women's ski slopestyle title for her second X Games gold medal in three days.
The 21-year-old edged Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland, while Kirsty Muir of Scotland took home bronze.
Also Sunday, freestyle skier Teal Harle of Campbell River, B.C., earned a silver medal in men's big air.
Rachael Karker of Erin, Ont., earned silver in the women's ski superpipe event on Saturday, while Quebec City's Laurie Blouin won bronze in the women's snowboard big air.
The 25-year-old Karker finished behind Zoe Atkin of Great Britain. American Svea Irving claimed bronze.
Blouin, 26, had a combined score of 82.00 points to finish one spot behind reigning Olympic and world champion Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand (86.00). Japan's Reira Iwabuchi won gold with 87.00.
