Chongli, Hebei, February 5 (Xinhua) -- On the evening of february 5, in the men's snow skill final of the freestyle skiing event at the Beijing Winter Olympics, Sweden's Walter Varberg finally defeated Canada's famous Athlete and Pyeongchang Winter Olympic champion Mikael Kingsbury to win the championship. After the match, Varberg said it was the formidable opponents who stirred up his "heart of champions".
Champion Sweden's Walter Varberg celebrates after the Men's Snow Skiing Competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on February 5. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Zhuang
The final is divided into three rounds, with the top 12 players taking the top 12 and then deciding on the top six, and then deciding on the winner through the final round. After the first two rounds of the finals, six players, including defending champion Kingsbury, Sweden's Varberg, Japan's Yukima Horjima, and France's Cawe, successfully entered the final showdown.
In the final round, Kingsbury scored a high score of 82.18 with a near-perfect performance. Valberg, the last to appear, withstood the pressure and performed better in terms of speed, aerial posture and rotation, and finally won the championship with a high score of 83.23. The moment he saw himself win the title, Varberg jumped with excitement.
"The last appearance, in fact, is very strategic, after seeing the excellent results of the opponent, I must adjust my state and difficulty in time, let go and fight." Varberg says the secret to his victory may be to work harder than others.
On February 5, Sweden's Walter Varberg won the championship. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xue Yubin
Varberg said he has had three consecutive surgeries in the past two years. During the Olympic preparations, he was under great pressure, trying to recover his body while also making himself stronger inside.
"When I first approached the event, I asked a world champion how he could get on the podium. Now, I have found the answer with perseverance and hard work. Varberg said.
Feeling sorry for winning the silver medal by a slight margin, Kingsbury, who participated in the Winter Olympics for the third time, told Xinhua News Agency after the game: "It is indeed a little regrettable that I am only a small step away from the winner in the end, but I am satisfied with my own performance tonight." Congratulations to old friend Varberg for joining the Olympic champion family and hopefully everything is a fresh start. ”
Editors: Ding Wenxian, Wang Hengzhi, Cao Yibo