Elizabeth Hosking makes history with halfpipe silver at snowboard world championships

Elizabeth Hosking has won Canada’s first ever world championship medal in women’s snowboard halfpipe.

The 21-year-old made the big breakthrough at the 2023 FIS Snowboard World Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia on Friday. She claimed the silver medal with 85.50 points, putting her on the podium between China’s Cai Xuetong (90.50) — who won her third career world title — and bronze medallist Mitsuki Ono of Japan (83.00).

Hosking earned that score in the first of her three runs in the final, of which only the best one counted towards the final results.

Prior to Friday, Hosking’s best result in her four world championship appearances dating back to 2017 had been her seventh-place finish in 2021. This is the just latest highlight of her halfpipe career. She earned her first ever World Cup podium in December, taking silver in Copper Mountain, Colorado, and added another World Cup silver in Calgary just a few weeks ago.

Hosking is just the fourth Canadian to win a world championship medal in snowboard halfpipe, but the first to achieve the feat in 14 years. Three men preceded her on the world podium: Justin Lamoureux won silver in 2005, Brad Martin took bronze in 2007, and Jeff Batchelor claimed a silver in 2009.

The FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships continue through Sunday.