For a second straight year, Marcus Kleveland took home gold in the men’s snowboard slopestyle competition at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo.
The Norwegian edged out Canadians Darcy Sharpe (91.00) and Mark McMorris (90.00) with a second-run score of 93.66.
It was Sharpe’s first-ever Winter X Games medal and McMorris’ 15th, as he moved into sole possession of third on the Winter X Games’ all-time medal list.
Tyler Nicholson of North Bay, Ont., finished fifth with a final run score of 81.00.
On Thursday, Canadians Sebastien Toutant and Max Parrot finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in qualifying and thus didn’t qualify for Saturday’s final.
Later Saturday, Cody Matechuk of Cochrane, Alta., won gold in the 20-lap snow bikecross race. Defending champ Brock Hoyer of Williams Lake, B.C., took silver.
White withdraws
Shaun White has withdrawn from the Winter X Games so he can return home to rest for the Olympics.
White caught the flu last week. He was practising in Aspen this week but notified event organizers he would not compete. He leaves for Pyeongchang next Saturday.
White is an eight-time X Games champion in the halfpipe, but his main focus this season has been earning his third Olympic gold medal. He scored a 100 two weeks ago in Snowmass to win a qualifying event and secure his spot on the U.S. team.
His next competition will come Feb. 13 in the qualifying round of the Olympics.
