LES CONTAMINES, France (Kyodo) Former Olympic moguls skier Miyuki Hatanaka took second place in the season-opening women's World Cup halfpipe event in France on Sunday, making her the first-ever Japanese to make a podium finish in the discipline on the circuit.
Hatanaka, who switched to halfpipe last season after competing in moguls in the past two Olympics, finished behind Virginie Faivre of Switzerland after her attempt to improve her position ended with a fall in the second run.
"I'm thrilled. I had a good result after I just tried to go high in the air," Hatanaka said. "I will train more and harder to stand on the podium at the world championships" (in Inawashiro in March).