Utah Olympic Park’s inaugural FIS aerials international comp results

Inaugural FIS/UOP comp/show. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — Although skies were clear over Utah Olympic Park on Saturday night, the athletes were soaking wet. That’s because the current and future Olympian aerial freestyle ski jumpers from Ukraine, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and the U.S. were competing in the inaugural International Ski Federation World Cup event in the pool. 

Freestyle aerials is a winter sport, however, athletes are lucky to be able to train tricks in the warmer months landing in a swimming pool enhancing safety measures when it comes time to land on less-forgiving snow.

Among the flip-flop-wearing who’s who of the winter sports world rubbing shoulders there was Frasier Bullock, an executive of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympics, and of the Salt Lake 2030/34 Olympic Bid Committee.

Bullock told TownLift, “This is one of the greatest events of the entire summer. To have the Ukrainian athletes compete against the U.S. athletes is fun for everyone. The fact that our community welcomed, with open arms, these wonderful athletes from Ukraine, has brought out the best of Utahns’ welcoming spirit and tonight we got to see that on full display.”

RESULTS:

Women:

1. Megan Nick, USA
2. Laura Peel, AUS
3. Winter Vinecki, USA

Men:

1. Miha Fontaine, CAN
2. Noe Roth, SUI
3. Dmytro Kotovskyi, UKR

Since it was a Saturday night, the crowd was additionally treated to the Flying Ace Allstars show, and on this particular evening, those spectators got to watch the competitors join in.