American Sage Kotsenburg won gold with a score of 93.50. Norway's Staale Sandbech took the silver with a 91.75.
McMorris did well just to make it to Sochi,
where slopestyle is making its Olympic debut. He had a team of specialists who
helped him get back in form and he was able to deal with the pain.
McMorris struggled in qualifying and needed a
third-place result in the morning semifinal just to qualify for the 12-man
final.
Once he got there, he had a disappointing first
run but turned things around in the second and final run. McMorris was strong
on the rails and just as steady on the jumps, landing a backside triple cork
1440 to cap his impressive effort.
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| Mark McMorris |
"It was an amazing feeling to do
that," he said. "That was a run I really wanted to do."
McMorris then had to watch 10 other competitors
do their second run before his medal was guaranteed.
"I was just praying to not get bumped
down," he said.
With his bronze hanging in the balance, teammate
Maxence Parrot was the final rider to head down the course. The reigning X
Games champion from Bromont, Que., also had a solid run and looked pleased with
his effort.
The tension was palpable over the long minute
before the judges' scores were posted.
McMorris was sure Parrot had done enough and
actually started to leave the finish area. He stopped a short distance away and
watched the scoreboard from there.
When the results made it to the screen, Parrot
dropped his head in disappointment. McMorris had his bronze after all.
"It was like truthfully the most insane
roller-coaster ever," McMorris said of his week.
Montreal's Sebastien Toutant finished ninth.
Charles Reid of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was eliminated in the semifinal round
after finishing 14th.
A lively crowd took in the action on a glorious
winter day. There were several Canadian flags and supporters in the stands.
American Shaun White pulled out of the event
earlier in the week and will instead focus on the halfpipe competition.
Source: CTV News
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