World Cup title winner Stefan Gimpl also the best in the Moscow Big Air

Claiming a back-to-back win in Moscow, Stefan Gimpl has impressively underlined why he won his career’s third Big Air World Cup title (4,100 points) this winter. In front of approximately 20,000 spectators right at the State University, the successfully defending title holder, who had also celebrated victory one year ago at the same place, relegated Switzerland’s Thomas Franc (46.4) and Marko Grilc (SLO, 45.5) to the second and third rank respectively by earning a score of 50.4 points. Due to his second consecutive podium finish after Quebec, the Slovenian wrapped up his contest season as runner-up in the Big Air World Cup ranking with 1.640 points edging off Finland’s Peetu Piiroinen (1.450), who didn’t start today, to the third spot.

“Celebrating my career’s third World Cup title is awesome. It was a super good season in a great team. I can’t believe at all how much luck I had” said the newly minted title holder after his triumph in Moscow. However, Gimpl’s performance was anything but fortunate. Secure and stylish are the adjectives which describe his riding today in a much better way. Sticking a perfectly executed Cab 900 in his first run, the 29-year-old laid the foundation for his sixth World Cup win in his 19th start. In addition, his third trick – a frontside 900 – also earned the best score in the final run. “But before, I was so nervous. I don’t get it. After having had so much success over the last years one should think that I don’t have to deal with nervousness any more but it seems that it won’t stop. That I grabbed another Gold is fantastic!”

What was another Gold for one rider was a fog which lifted for another one. In the last Big Air at Quebec, Thomas Franc was fighting for the win for just a long time but had to accept his dashed hopes after bailing the last jump finally finishing the competition as eighth. Today, in contrary, the 20-year-old was able to clinch his career’s first ever podium result in a Big Air World Cup contest. “That’s fantastic! After Quebec, I was hoping that it would work out today. After I didn’t get well into the season I was getting better and better over the past weeks.” And how good he really was, the Davos resident proofed with a smooth Frontside 1080 and a Backside 720 earning just 0.9 points more in total than third ranked Marko Grilc.

Before, the Slovenian had once again – just like in Quebec – caused some big cheering of the crowd sticking a clean Double Backflip. But his Frontside 900 of the second run was also as smooth as always. “I’m so stocked to be on the podium again. It was a cool contest, a great location and a super audience. This is the perfect ending of my competition season as it’s now time for me to go filming again.

The podium in Moscow:
1.       Stefan Gimpl (AUT)
2.       Thomas Franc (SUI)
3.       Marko Grilc (SLO)

The Big Air World Cup ranking podium:
1.       Stefan Gimpl (AUT)
2.       Marko Grilc (SLO)
3.       Peetu Piiroinen (FIN)