Snowboarder Sam Vermaat was unable to compete for the medals in the big air section at the World Cup in Georgia on Saturday. The youngster finished eighth.
Seventeen-year-old Vermaat did not make it to the end of his second run and ended up with 99.25 points. That was a somewhat disappointing number, because the Dutchman had finished second in his heat in the qualifications on Thursday with a score of 137.75 points.
For the talented Vermaat, from Halsteren in Brabant, it was his second World Cup final. Earlier this week he finished twelfth in slopestyle at his first World Championship.
The gold in the big air event in Georgian Bakuriani was for Taiga Hasegawa. The Japanese came in at 177.25, leaving the Norwegian Mons Røisland and the Swiss Nicolas Huber behind.
The women’s title went to Austria’s Anna Gasser. Melissa Peperkamp missed the final and was classified eleventh. For Gasser it was her second world title in the big air section. She is also a two-time and reigning Olympic champion in the event.