Australian teen sensation Indra Brown announced herself as one of the potential stars of next month’s Winter Olympics as she continued a remarkable start to her World Cup career with a maiden victory in the women’s freeski halfpipe.
The 15-year-old maintained a run of World Cup podium finishes in her first three events by making it on to the top step for the first time at the Canadian resort of Calgary.
Brown matched a World Cup mark set by 15-year-old Swede Jennie-Lee Burmansson, who claimed podium finishes in her first three slopestyle starts in the 2017-18 season.
“I’m just full of joy, super happy that I was able to land a run and ski how I did today in these conditions,” said Brown, who earned a score of 85.20 for her first run, that no other skier was able to match.
China’s Zhang Kexin, 23, was second with 84.20 and American Svea Irving, also 23, third with 83.20.
“I’m really happy and stoked, and excited for more,” added Brown, who finished third on her World Cup debut in Secret Garden, China, in early December and second in the US resort of Copper Mountain before the Christmas break.
She became the youngest Australian to claim a World Cup victory and the first from her country to earn three World Cup podiums.
Brown’s maiden win in Canada moved her top of the women’s freeski halfpipe standings on 240 points, 55 points clear of Zhang in second place.
She is yet to be confirmed in the Australian team for the Winter Olympics, which begin in Milan and Cortina, in Italy, on 6 February.
A selection will be made after the final World Cup event before the Games, which takes place in the US resort of Aspen from 8-10 January.