Oh, what a night! Two Aussies through to Big Air final

Three Aussies lined up for the Women’s Snowboard Big Air qualification in Livigno Snow Park. Triple Olympian and bronze medalist Tess Coady, and Olympic debutants Ally Hickman and Mela Stalker.  

Coady, Hickman and Stalker are from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland so the crowd was packed with friends and family from across the east coast of Australia excited to see the Aussies go big.  

Big Air has been filled with dramas these Games from the highs and lows of watching Val Guseli pullout a 19 hundred to squeak and tonight was no different.  

Tess Coadyhad the tough job of being number one on the start list, but she handled it like a pro. She delivered a solid first jump score of 78.50, Hickman sixteenth to run spun up a front side 1080 mute grab and deliver an 85.25 finishing the first round in third. Stalker unfortunately failed to stick the landing putting the pressure on for the next two rounds.  

“Sitting third after that one, I was really excited. I went over to my family. They were probably the loudest in the crowd, yeah, it was so crazy,” said Hickman 

Going into the second-round jump Stalker knew she really needed a result to stay in the competition. She responded with authority nailing a backside 1080 mute and delivering an 82.25. Coady, however, had a difficult landing, while Hickman landed a solid second jump.  

In the third, Stalker did it again. She absolutely nailed a frontside 1080 mute to land in 6th place. Coady, just edged into the final finishing in 12th spot with a solid switch backside 900 mute, Hickman landed all three jumps but failed to produce a high enough score for the final finishing in 15th place.  

Stalker being a rookie put her first-round jump down to nerves, “So much anxiety throughout the whole day. So, I think I'm pretty glad to just, kind of breathe through it.” 

She also pulled out a new trick for the night, “Yeah, it was the first time doing back dub 10 in a competition. So I learned that on the on the day I came here. So, to be able to put it in in comp mode is pretty cool”. 

She felt the support of the team really help her to get the job done on the night.  

“It's like a little family. It's so cool. Good to have Tess make the final as well. She rode so well, and so did Ally. I can't, I can't believe how proud I am of them and to be able to ride with them this this year has been great.” 

Coady was really focused on the second run to get into the final on the night.  

“I wanted to just do a switchback nine I did on my second run. But it was just like, it slowed down a little bit as it got a bit colder. So yeah, I just wanted to land that, cleaner and just make it look good. And, yeah, get some points, just hope, hopefully that was gonna be enough. 

Placing 12th means Coady will be first again in the final, “In the final, I think I’ll do a  switchback 10, I might just see, how the jump is and stuff but It's a little tricky when you're, like, the first rider to drop.” 

Tess Coady and Mela Stalker are set to line up for the Women's Big Air Final on Wednesday 10 February at 5:30am AEDT. Watch live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now and on-demand on Stan Sport.

Photo Credit: Australian Olympic Team