Aussie James gets halfpipe season underway with silver

Australia's two-time Olympic snowboard medallist Scotty James has got his halfpipe season underway in almost perfect fashion.

In the opening event at China's Secret Garden resort, where James triumphed in 2023, the 30-year-old finished second 12 months on to claim the 16th World Cup medal of his career.

Competing on the Beijing 2022 site where the Victorian won the second Olympic medal of his career, the three-time world champion failed to nail clean runs on his first two attempts but recorded an 88.25 at his third try under sunny skies.

After qualifying for the finals in third place, it was enough for the six-time X Games winner to finish only behind Japan's Yuto Totsuka, who registered a best score of 95.50, on his last run.

Teenager Ryusei Yamada (87.75), also of Japan, claimed third, while compatriot Ayumu Hirano, who won gold at the Beijing Games, finished fourth.

"I'm super happy because it's the first time I made a triple cork in competition," said Totsuka.

In the women's event, Maddie Mastro beat Xuetong Cai of China with another American in Madeline Schaffrick rounding out the podium in third.

Japan's Mitsuki Ono, last season's overall champion, placed fourth, while Australia's Misaki Vaughan finished 23rd in her World Cup debut.

"I've gotten a lot of seconds and a lot of thirds at these World Cups, and this is my first one on top. And my God, am I happy about it," said Mastro.

The World Cup opener marked the start of the qualifying process for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics.

Copper Mountain in Colorado, USA, will host the next event on December 20.