The addition of snowboard big air to the Olympics next month means Jamie Anderson, Julia Marino and Hailey Langland have two chances for a U.S. podium sweep in PyeongChang.
Marino and Langland qualified for the U.S. big air and slopestyle team Saturday, joining the already qualified Anderson, who won slopestyle’s debut in Sochi.
Anderson, Marino and Langland swept the podium in that order at the last Olympic qualifier in slopestyle in Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
They also made up three of the top four riders at the 2017 X Games big air and slopestyle.
The U.S. has never swept the Winter Olympic medals in a women’s event but could do so in big air, slopestyle and even snowboard halfpipe in PyeongChang.
MORE: U.S. Olympic roster
While Anderson is the veteran, an X Games medalist 11 of the last 12 years, Marino and Langland represent the new wave of U.S. big air and slopestyle riders.
Marino, a 20-year-old from Connecticut who trains in Quebec, earned slopestyle and big air medals at X Games Aspen and Oslo last year in her debuts at those events.
They included slopestyle gold in Aspen over Anderson.
Langland, a 17-year-old from Southern California who plays the ukulele, guitar and piano, won the first X Games women’s big air title last year and took bronze in slopestyle in 2016.
Born in 2000, she is younger than any previous female Olympic snowboarding medalist.
“She reminds me of a younger me,” Anderson said, according to NBC Olympic Research.
The U.S. could add a fourth woman to the big air/slopestyle team, likely either Jessika Jenson or Ty Walker, a pair of 2014 Olympians in slopestyle.
The U.S. men are not as strong internationally in big air and slopestyle, where the Olympic favorites hail from Canada and Norway.
Kyle Mack won the last qualifier Saturday — without the top international riders in the field — to clinch the third and last automatic spot on the men’s big air/slopestyle team.
Chris Corning and Red Gerard previously qualified for PyeongChang. A fourth rider can be added via discretionary selection.
U.S. Olympic Qualifying Standings
Snowboard Big Air/Slopestyle (through five of five events)
Three riders auto qualify per gender; one possible discretionary spot
1. Chris Corning — 2,000* QUALIFIED
1. Red Gerard — 2,000* QUALIFIED
3. Kyle Mack — 1,800* QUALIFIED
4. Chandler Hunt — 1,400* (2nd and 3rd)
5. Ryan Stassel — 1,400 (2nd and 3rd)
1. Jamie Anderson — 2,000* QUALIFIED
2. Julia Marino — 1,800* QUALIFIED
3. Hailey Langland — 1,600* QUALIFIED
4. Jessika Jenson — 1,600 (1st and 3rd)
5. Ty Walker — 1,300 (2nd and 4th)
*Has automatic qualifying minimum of one top-three result against entire field.
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