The final jump of Aerials star Noé Roth in the video. (Video: SRF)
What a week it was for the Aerials athletes at the Freestyle World Championships in Bakuriani. In Georgia, for example, only the mixed team competition and the women’s qualification could take place in the first days of the competition. The men’s qualification was supposed to take place on Tuesday. However, due to strong gusts of wind, it was first postponed to Wednesday and then to Thursday.
And despite the not at all good conditions, the competition was held up that day. It was also the last possible time – there would not have been a further postponement. The result: There would have been no aerials world champion this year and the women’s qualifier Danielle Scott from Australia would have won.
Gold for Noe Roth
But this worst-case scenario did not happen. However, three out of four Swiss were disappointing. Pirmin Werner and Andrin Schädler failed in qualifying. Although Nicolas Gygax managed to jump into the final, he was disqualified after a failed jump.
But there was one more: Noé Roth, who leads the overall World Cup. He showed a meager 1st run in the final and made it into the super final a bit lucky, but was able to improve in the 2nd – and how! Roth won gold and ensured that Switzerland won the title in this discipline for the first time ever. Silver went to the American Quinn Dehlinger, bronze to Longxiao Yang from China.
Roth was over the moon afterwards. He said to SRF: “I’m just happy and I don’t know what to say.” Papa and coach Michel Roth said: “It always takes a little luck. It’s wonderful for us and a dream come true for me as a coach.”
Kazakh Shanbota Aldabergenowa cuts skis on the ramp. (Video: SRF)
Curious fall by a Kazakh
Fanyu Kong (China) secured the women’s world title ahead of Danielle Scott (Australia) and Anastasiya Nowosad (Ukraine). A Swiss woman did not take part. The Kazakh Schanbota Aldabergenowa caused a moment of shock.
She fell heavily during her run, cutting her skis when approaching the ramp and falling over the ramp into several supervisors. SRF commentator Dani Kern said: “I’ve never seen anything like it!” She was unharmed and was even allowed to repeat it. In the end she was sixth.