It was the run of her life, and it came at the exact right time.
Team Summit freeskier Lainey Steen, 14, won gold at Junior World Championships in Calgary on Feb. 28. She was flawless on the slopestyle course en route to her first junior worlds title.
Lainey went from third place at qualifiers to first at finals with a bag full of tricks. She dropped in switch on the first hit of the upper rail section – something not even most Olympians did this winter – and finished the rails with multiple spins on and off.
On the bottom jump section, Lainey connected three 900s in three different directions, including a switch 900 on the second hit, triumphantly pumping her arms as she slid comfortably into first with a score of 89.50. Canada’s Hunter Hall took second with 82.75. New Zealand’s Maya Broadbent was third with 79.75.
Lainey has the chance for three additional Junior World titles in halfpipe, big air and rails. She has been training all season in the Woodward terrain park at Copper Mountain.
Former Team Summit snowboarder, and first-time Olympian Lily Dhawornvej claimed her own slopestyle title in Calgary. The 17-year-old finished ahead of Suzuka Ishimoto in second and fellow U.S. Olympian Jessica Perlmutter in third.
Preview image via @fisparkandpipe on IG.