Schattschneider overcomes set back to win first slopestyle World Cup

By Sportsbeat staff

AUSTRIA'S Clemens Schattschneider overcame an early stumble in Calgary to not only claim his maiden World Cup win but the overall men's big air-slopestyle lead as well.

The 19-year-old got off to the worse possible start in the slopestyle, a potential new inclusion to the Winter Olympic programme for the 2014 Games in Sochi, crashing during his opening run.

However Schattschneider put that to the back of his mind on his second outing on the slopes in Canada responding in perfect style to top the podium with 27.4points.

That was enough to keep home hopeful Robby Balharry, who scored 26.3, at bay as well as the Canadian's teammate Zachary Stone who lead after the opening running.

Schattschneider's win at the first slopestyle World Cup of the season puts him top of the overall combined rankings with 2360.0 points - demoting Canada's Sebastien Toutant into second.

"I certainly was under pressure," said Schattschneider. "But then I said to myself, that I should just do it as it always had worked out in the training, too. That fortunately worked out, I'm pretty happy."

Meanwhile in the women's competition in Canada there was also a first for American Allyson Carroll who followed Schattschneider's lead in topping the World Cup podium for the maiden time.

In almost a carbon copy of the men's competition Carroll forced a Canadian into second winning with a score of 21.0 just ahead of Brooke Voigt, who claimed silver.

Austria's Pia Meusburger finished third with 15.4 and Carroll said: "I dislocated my left shoulder twice in January so I was hoping to be strong enough for this event but I didn't expect this to happen not a tiny little bit."