China's Yang Wenlong claims first Snowboard Big air World Cup win

Yang Wenlong of China won the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Snowboard Big Air World Cup men's final in Kreischberg, Austria, on Saturday, topping the World Cup podium for first time in his career.

Yang selected a front double cork 1800 weddle to tailgrab in his first run and earned 86.00 points. As the contest came down to the third and final runs, the 25-year-old Chinese still trailed behind the reigning champion, Taiga Hasegawa of Japan.

In his final attempt, Yang landed a backside 1980 Japan with 96.50 points, surpassing Hasegawa by 2.25 points and securing the final victory, which put Yang on the World Cup podium for the second time after finishing in third place in Beijing.

Hasegawa came in second with a total score of 180.25 points, followed by his compatriot, last season's big air Crystal Globe winner Kira Kimura, and his 168.75 points.

In the women's final, home veteran, double Olympian gold medalist Anna Gasser cliamed her 10th World Cup Big Air victory in career with a total score of 167.75, 10 points ahead of runner-up Reira Iwabuchi from Japan and 17-year-old Mia Brookes of Germany.

"This one is very special. The level of the girls is just so great right now and to still be able to keep up with my younger competitors – it's such a great time for me," Gasser said after becoming the oldest World Cup winner in FIS Snowboard Park & Pipe history.