Crawford runner-up for World Cup halfpipe title

19 March 2007 Holly Crawford has finished runner-up in the snowboard halfpipe 2007 World Cup, after riding to her sixth podium result for the season in Stoneham, Canada. Crawford just missed out in her attempt to add a third World Cup title to Australia's 2007 winter sports tally, but equalled the performance of Torino Olympic team-mate Torah Bright in finishing second on the end of season points table. Bright, who had been World Cup runner-up in 2004, had her own pay-day earlier in the weekend, finishing third in the US Open in Stratton Mountain, Vermont, and wrapping up the Burton Snowboarding series title, collecting $100,000 in the process. Crawford qualified in first position with a huge 45.3 point second run, nearly three points clear of World Cup leader and reigning World Champion Manuela Laura Pesko of Switzerland. In the final, Pesko led after the first run, laying down a 42.8 point performance to the 23-year-old Australian's 40.7 points. With the gold medal to be decided on the best run of the two-run final, Crawford had no option but to go all out on her second trip down the mountain, coming unstuck and falling as she strove for maximum air. Her first run score, however, was good enough for the silver medal behind Pesko. Crawford ended the season on 5050 points, 350 adrift of the Swiss rider, with a gold medal, three silver and two bronze to her credit. Pauline Ligocka of Poland took the Stoneham bronze medal and finished the season in third place on the standings with 3950 points. Olympic Winter Institute rider Hannah Trigger had the best result of her career, placing ninth on 30.7 points. She finished her debut year in 14th place on 970 points, after missing the first four events. In the men's event, Andrew Burton finished in ninth place, securing his end of season ranking of fourth, the highest of his career. The men's World Cup crown went to Ryoh Aono of Japan on 4000 points from compatriot Kohhei Kudoh on 2410. Burton closed out the season on 2010 points. In the US Open Snowboarding Championships in Vermont, the final event of the Burton Global Open Series, Bright added a second placing in slopestyle and the best halfpipe trick award to her halfpipe bronze medal. The performance over the weekend earned her the keys for a Volvo C30 T5 to go with the $100,000 prize for winning the series title. Salt Lake 2002 gold medallist Kelly Clark won the US title from team-mate Gretchen Bleiler. The men's US title went to Torino 2006 gold medallist Shaun White. Courtesy OWI/Sportcom © FIS / Oliver Kraus