Snowboarder Niek van der Velden stays distant from slopestyle remaining place on the Olympics | Olympics
Niek van der Velden, a snowboarder, has earned a spot in the Pyeongchang Olympics. One of the top slopestyle riders in the world, 21-year-old Dutchman, has advanced to the second round at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou.
Van der Velden finished twenty-fifth out of thirty riders competing in the Slopestyle competition after scoring 26.51 points in the first run. Van der Velden finished twentieth overall in the second round after scoring 36.03 points, which was insufficient to place him in the top twelve.
Van der Velden was optimistic before the Games, despite the underwhelming performance. He said, “If I look at how my level has developed recently, I feel I definitely have what it takes to show something that’s worthy of the final” .
Prior to the competition, Van der Velden struggled with a fractured arm he had suffered during a practise session. He was able to participate, nonetheless, and earn a spot among the finalists for the next Olympic Games. Melissa Peperkamp, a fellow Dutch athlete competing in the Big Air championships, will accompany him.
